Blue Crescent Moon
by Spunky0ne
Summary: Grimmjow finds a beaten Byakuya in the ruins of Las Noches. He surprises himself by agreeing to assist the shinigami in attempting to find a cure for a poison that is killing Rukia and several others. mpreg
1. The Refugee

**Blue Crescent Moon**

**Chapter 1: The Refugee**

Grimmjow was a hollow…and a powerful one at that. That being said…he wondered how he could be a hollow, and yet hold his brethren in such low regard. Of course, the bulk of the hollows were low level trash that couldn't even speak…lanky and bulky twists and turns of smelly flesh and bone. They could barely think, let alone conform to a code of honor. He cringed to think that they were in any way connected to him.

Hollows…

The gathering of dark emotion held within a dying soul and carried into Hueco Mundo to form its heartless body. They were heartless, but that did not mean that they did not get cut and feel pain…that they did not bleed and desire life. In fact, the higher the level of the hollow, the more developed the consciousness…the more depth there was to the emotions that drove them.

But even those more powerful than he didn't seem to have that something inside that he did. He wondered if somehow, when he became a hollow, he hadn't lost his heart in it's entirety. But he must have. If he hadn't, then what was this hole in him…and why was there such power in his anger? He stood above the entrance to his cave and wondered.

He wondered too at why he was still here. He had thought himself killed when Kurosaki Ichigo had brought him down…and indeed, he should have died. He had a very vague memory of the girl's eyes…of just a touch as Ichigo led her past him…a whisper of forgiveness…and then, for a time, there was darkness. He woke in his cave…and, some time after, learned of Aizen Sousuke's capture. It didn't hurt him at all to know his former lord was gone and he had no compunction to try to free him. He had been a fool to believe in the shinigami. He had been given hope to tease him into cooperating…but then he had been used…used not to gain something better, as he thought, but as someone Ichigo trod on on his way to glory. He didn't hate Ichigo for beating him. Each had given his best and the youth had been stronger. It wasn't worth it to hate Ichigo for that.

But he couldn't get past the fact that he should have died…

He sat in the sand outside his cave, looking back at the darkened fortress…emptied now of leadership and left to decay. He wondered who was left to lead. He didn't, for a moment, consider fighting for it himself. Although now the strongest of the Arrancar left in the ruins of Aizen's plans, he had no wish to spend the rest of his life trying to stay on top. It simply wasn't worth it.

His thoughts were interrupted by a disturbance in reiatsu levels around the fortress. He sighed softly, recognizing the feel of shinigami power. They must have come again to search the fortress…but what they needed, he had no idea. With Aizen gone, it was especially dangerous in the world of the hollows. There was no order…and there wouldn't be until someone stepped forward to lead. Grimmjow resolved to remain apart from it all. None of it had anything to do with him anyway. He looked back at the fortress and watched as zanpakutou releases cracked and lit the night. Yes, it was even dark inside the fortress, now that Aizen's false light had followed him into the hell he deserved.

Grimmjow yawned and lifted himself, slipping inside the cave and dropping into his bed. Everything went quiet and eventually, even the distant sounds of battle faded away. When he woke in the early morning, all was quiet again. He ate a quiet breakfast, then, for reasons he couldn't quite fathom, turned towards Las Noches.

He was there in a short time, standing in the deserted courtyard and gazing at the devastated entry doors. So the shinigamis had come for something in the fortress…or maybe someone. Aizen had left some prisoners in the detention levels. He thought, perhaps, it might have been a rescue mission. Looking at the number of both shinigami and hollow bodies lying around, he wagered it was ridiculous for them to have come.

He passed through the courtyard and into the fortress, stepping over the bodies that littered the entry and stairs, that lined the hallways. He thought he could smell fire…and he felt the distant pulses of lives fading slowly away. He stopped at the throne room door and looked in at Aizen's white throne, now sprinkled with blood and deeply cracked…and the table that the Espada had shared for meetings, now broken and half burned. He sighed softly and turned out of the room, feeling heavy and dull. If he'd had a heart, he knew that it would be heavy. It had all been a lie. Aizen had only used them to propel himself forward.

He left the throne room and found his way to the kitchens. Much had been plundered, but there were still some good things left to eat. After sating himself, he felt better, as though the fog of unhappiness he'd felt over being so used by Aizen Sousuke was beginning to lift.

He moved on past the kitchens, living areas and training rooms, then down a large flight of stairs and into the colder detention levels. As he arrived there, he heard laughter, rustling and the sounds of someone in pain. Several voices were rising up, loud and mocking, urging someone to 'break him,' 'fuck him into the ground,' and 'make him bleed.'

"Fucking morons," he hissed.

Not that he liked the shinigamis. He didn't. But despite being a hollow…Grimmjow had a sense of right and wrong. To inflict pain in an interrogation or to achieve something important was one thing, and even to swiftly kill an opponent was fine, but to take one already fallen and to subject him to needless torment…

"Damn you…just kill the poor bastard and have done with it…"

From the sound of the shinigami's voice, it sounded as though death wasn't too far off. He started to turn away, but heard another voice.

"Heal him. We'll save him for later."

Grimmjow waited until the flare of healing reiatsu had faded and the voices had gone quiet, then moved forward into the rows of cells. Most held disgustingly desecrated bodies and some were empty…but one held a pulsing reiatsu that suggested someone of some actual power. It was power sealed away or, he sensed, these weaklings would never have had their way with him.

They had healed him enough so that he would hurt, but not die…and then left him conscious…surrounded in darkness and death…one hell of a nightmare come true, to Grimmjow's way of thinking. He considered killing the man, but as he moved into the room, the captive's head turned and soft gray eyes reflected a thin shaft of moonlight.

He knew immediately why the bastards had kept him alive…

Even beaten and bloodied, bruised and tormented, he could tell the man was both beautiful and powerful. There was strength of spirit left in his eyes…a will that hadn't been shattered. The poor son of a bitch wanted to live…thought he actually had a chance. Grimmjow shook his head in disbelief. He could see that this man was as strong as he was…or maybe stronger. He was hurting, but there was something in the calm, dark eyes that suggested that pain was something he was accustomed to. And it was, perhaps that that made Grimmjow move closer.

He met the beautiful eyes, the cold gaze and hardened expression. He knew already that this enemy was different. He only waited to learn what form that difference would take. He was distracted for a moment by voices in the distance.

"We're bringing 'The Beast' down to finish him…after we have our fun with him one more time. There's no way we'll hold him for long. He will break the seal soon…shame, too…really soft skin and smells good…"

They might, he thought, be weaklings, but they weren't completely stupid. To hold this man for any length of time would not be accomplished by these. It would take power on the level of Grimmjow's. The hollow sighed and glared into the shinigami's eyes.

"Do you want me to kill you before they get here? I will be faster and more merciful than the one they're bringing."

The man blinked and considered his offer for a moment.

"I would much prefer to live," he stated softly.

Grimmjow couldn't stifle a sudden laugh.

"Shinigami, you are fucked coming and going," he said, shaking his head, "You're going to die, one way or another."

"Ah…so you will absolve me of pain, but will not loose me and allow me to at least have an opportunity to earn my freedom?"

"What the fuck do you want?" Grimmjow chuckled, "I'm a hollow! You're a shinigami. We're natural enemies. Why should I save you?"

"I'm not saying that you should. I'm asking if you will."

He felt a sudden twinge of liking for the shinigami. He knew it was stupid…but he could always change his mind and kill the fucker if he got troublesome…

"So if I do that, what will you do for me?"

It was a fair question, all things considered…

"Did you have something in mind?" the man asked, his eyes curious.

"No, not really," Grimmjow admitted, "but seeing as how you're about to become lunch for the beast, I'll just have to think of something later."

He snapped the kido that held the shinigami down and helped him to his feet. He checked the binding on his hands and led him out of the cell. He heard footsteps in the corridor and turned the shingami down another passage, then slowly worked the two of them back to the courtyard. He heard a ruckus building up behind them as the others realized that their captive was gone.

"I'm going to have to carry you," he said shortly and lifted the surprisingly light body over a shoulder.

He heard no sound of disapproval and when he glanced at his captive's face, his eyes were focused on the fortress…and Grimmjow could feel that he was shaking. He pretended not to notice and moved on through the darkness to his cave. He entered the main room, but moved to the very back and placed his hand on the rock wall. The stone glowed blue and opened the way into a hidden chamber. It had been his refuge when he was younger and had too many strong enemies…and now it sheltered this shinigami. He thought again about what he had done and glanced at the man, who was standing in the dark chamber and waiting quietly. Grimmjow lit a kido lamp, then motioned for the man to sit on the bed. He went over the shinigami's body slowly, from head to toe, healing any injuries he could find. It made him sick inside to see the damage done to such a beautiful body.

"Tell me something, shinigami," he said quietly, "How in the hell were you still able to walk? They beat the living shit out of you and then some!"

The dark eyes locked on his thoughtfully for a moment, then looked away. Grimmjow slipped a hand beneath his chin and locked eyes with him again.

"Damn! Even after the shit they did to you, you still look too damned pretty for your own good," he muttered.

He helped the shinigami to his feet again and led him to a fall of water at the back of the chamber that he used a cero to warm. He looked into the dark eyes warningly.

"Don't think of attacking me or trying to run. This chamber can only be opened by me, so you will be powerless and trapped if you knock me out or kill me. Understand?"

The shingami nodded. Grimmjow released the bindings on his hands and left the chamber to allow him to bathe. He sat in the outer cave, wondering what in the hell he was thinking, keeping a shinigami as a pet, but couldn't quite think of himself as wholly stupid for doing so. It was nice to have intelligent company…and not all shinigamis were bad. Not all of them were like Aizen. He yawned and leaned back against the wall, looking out of the cave. In moments, he was asleep.

He woke sometime later and turned back towards the chamber, then realized that he hadn't closed the door all of the way. A dark shiver went through him as he studied the empty inner chamber for a moment and considered how easily the shinigami could have slit his throat. He shook his head and tried not to think on that particular bit of stupidity. Stepping outside and looking around briefly, he was somewhat amazed at how well the man had covered his tracks…so thoroughly that Grimmjow couldn't sense them. He shook his head and sighed.

"It's better this way," he said softly, "Wouldn't have known what to do with him anyway."

He turned back into the cave and passed into the inner chamber, then closed it behind him. He moved towards the shower and disrobed, then slipped in under the little waterfall, and slowly washed away the day's tension. It wasn't until he had exited the shower and dried off and was slipping back into his clothes that he realized that the bed across the room was not empty. He crossed the room and looked down at the shinigami questioningly.

"What the fuck are you still doing here?" he asked, trying not to sound as shocked as he was, "You could have walked out of here and gone free. What's in your head, Shinigami?"

The man sat up and Grimmjow felt a soft jolt in his stomach. He had put on one of Grimmjow's own yukatas, his own clothes being torn and stained with dirt, blood and semen. The sky blue fabric covered the soft, pale flesh of his body, but was revealing enough to make Grimmjow have to try not to stare. His hair was long, thick and coal black, raining down his back and falling delicately over one eye in the front. One look was enough to tell him not to let the shinigami outside for a moment. Nothing that beautiful would last five minutes in Hueco Mundo now…

"You going to answer me?" he asked, almost growling.

"I cannot return to Soul Society. I have not completed my mission," the man said simply.

"Your _mission_?" mused Grimmjow, "Shinigami, you just got captured, beaten and fucked by a horde of hollows! Who gives a rat's ass about your mission? Fuck the mission! You should have left."

"I cannot," the man went on, "Even if my mission had been completed, I cannot get back unless a garganta is opened for me."

"Look…I kinda like you. Don't have a clue why, but there's something about you I like. Just…I'll open a garganta and you can go home. You do want to go home, right? Don't you have a family?"

The man nodded.

"It is my family, my sister in particular, that is the reason for my mission."

"If your sister is here, then she's already dead…or at least, you'd best hope she is!"

"No…she is not here. My sister came here with Kurosaki Ichigo and some other of her friends…and while they were here, she was somehow given a slow poison. The others were all poisoned as well, and none of our healers can cure them. We know they were infected here…we don't know how. We have put them in a state of cryogenic suspension, but unless we find a cure, they will not survive."

"Huh," huffed Grimmjow, "I think I remember her. You do know that I attacked her, right? Half killed her?"

"I am aware…but I am also aware that you were under Aizen's direction at the time."

"And you'll let it slide because you're desperate?"

"I will not leave this place without a cure. I must save her!" the shinigami insisted.

"You're crazy," mused Grimmjow, "You're throwing your life away. You're not even going to save her. You're just going to die too!"

The calm, gray eyes locked on his.

"You could have joined the others and tormented me," he said softly, "but not only did you not do that, you freed me and healed me. You are a hollow, but you have a sense of justice…a code of honor. You can help me."

"I'm not going to help you kill yourself," said the Espada gruffly, "You want to die, set one foot outside without me! You will be recaptured and you will be killed this time! End of story!"

"You can protect me…and I will serve you…only help me to save my sister and I will owe you my life."

"I don't fucking want your life! And I don't need complications! You have no idea what you are asking me to do!"

"I am asking you to help me save my sister. I am trading my freedom to you so that you will help me!"

Grimmjow let out a frustrated breath and went silent.

"I have never done right by my sister…but I cannot fail her now. It would destroy me anyway. I could not live with myself if I failed her. I have to do this…I have to…"

Grimmjow studied the man's eyes and gazed for several long minutes at him. Finally, he gave a long sigh.

"I'm fucking crazy for listening to you, but I'll tell you what…I'll take you up on serving me…just while you and I search for that cure…and I will help you. I won't make you stay once the cure is found…but while you are here, you belong to me…understand?"

The shinigami lowered his eyes and nodded.

"I am ready to serve you," he said quietly.

"Well," said Grimmjow, sitting down on the bed, "not as part of your service, but because it is part of protecting you, I have to mark you as mine. Otherwise, others will try to hurt you or take you away. They are wary of my power…so if you bear my marking, then they will back off. They'll know that if they touch you…they will die."

"And how is one 'marked?'" the shinigami asked softly.

"It's a sort of ritual marking," explained the Espada, "While taking you sexually, I place a reiatsu marker on your body. The hollows will sense it when they approach you and they will know you are mine. Most of them won't fuck with you…especially once I restore your powers."

"You will…"

"The ritual only works if it is a willing exchange. I agree to protect you and you agree to be mine. The marker will fade when I release you."

He waited several minutes, watching the play of mixed emotions in the shinigami's expressive eyes. His body betrayed little, Grimmjow realized, but his eyes gave everything away.

"You having second thoughts?" he asked, noticing a slight tension in the pale hands.

"No," said the man quietly, "You may proceed."

Grimmjow nodded briefly, his heart racing at the thought of what he was about to do. He wondered if he was being incredibly stupid…taking this shinigami as his own like that…but Hueco Mundo had become a damned lonely place…and even if it was only for awhile, the shinigami's body looked deliciously warm and soft…comforting in the midst of such cold deadness.

He lit candles around the bed and then sat down next to the man.

"What is your name?" he asked.

"I am no one here…so I will ask you to name me."

"You're kidding, right?" laughed Grimmjow, but the shinigami's face looked completely serious.

He leaned forward and took hold of the soft yukata, pulling the shinigami closer and taking the light, sweet lips. He expected that after the treatment he had gotten at the hands of the other hollows, that he might be resistant, but he remained light and pliable in Grimmjow's arms as he lowered him onto his back and opened the yukata, revealing in full, that slender, lovely body that was about to be made his.

He rested his body on top of the other and sent his reiatsu humming all through his body and radiating outward. He curled it in a blue swirl around the two of them, cutting them off from everything outside the circle. He took his time working his way from head to toe, touching the shinigami's body and placing his reiatsu, using small flares of his power to lock it into place beneath the shinigami's skin. And when he had completed the exchange, Grimmjow couldn't help but notice that the lovely body was trembling softly, that there was a light flush on his white skin, that his eyes had gone hazy, and that he was beautifully erect. He pressed his body down hard against the other and moved his hips, making the shinigami tighten his hands on the hollow's strong shoulders and catch his breath. Slowly, Grimmjow lowered a hand to the man's wrists and released the seal on his powers. Their eyes met.

"Last chance, Shinigami," the Espada said, touching his face to make his eyes clear, "Once I take you, the markers settle. Once I take you, you belong to me…until I let you go. Are you sure you want to do this?"

The dark eyes closed for a moment, then opened again, and the shinigami nodded.

"Okay," whispered the Espada, "I guess you know what you're doing."

He started to turn the man onto his stomach, but saw a sudden flare of apprehension in the dark eyes.

"Sorry…" he said, "I thought maybe you wouldn't want it to be that…intimate."

The shingami only blinked slowly and looked back at him quietly. He laid his body down on top of the shinigami again and nudged his thighs apart, then carefully prepared him, watching the pretty dark eyes for signs of pain. The pain, he realized, was mostly emotional. The other hollows had been brutal with him. Grimmjow would have understood if he'd started screaming at the idea of another hollow taking him, but this shinigami, he found, was different from anyone he had ever met. He held himself still, even when Grimmjow knew it must have hurt him some. He met the Espada's eyes without fear or aggression. He was only calm, quiet and distant…as if he had given himself over and accepted it for what it was. And as he sank into that wonderfully soft flesh, Grimmjow felt something stir inside. It almost made him stop, but it felt too good to look into that calm expression, to watch it slowly change as the intensity of their coupling grew. Their reiatsu flared around them as their bodies arched into each other…as the reiatsu markers he had placed flared and settled. Grimmjow closed his eyes and lowered his head, sucking at the white skin of the shinigami's throat. He was trying to be gentle, but his hunger for pleasure raged. The shinigami let out a shivering moan of abandon and his body shuddered beneath the Espada's, sending Grimmjow into a powerful orgasm. He met the shinigami's dark eyes with something between warmth and wariness, then pleasure. He kissed the solemn, sweet lips again and let his body rest there on top of his new servant. He felt a twinge of guilt at the hint of pain that was in the shinigami's eyes, but he consoled himself with the knowledge that the man wouldn't have left, even if he'd personally opened a garganta for him. This was a willing exchange…a fair deal for both. He wasn't doing anything wrong by claiming his willing servant sexually.

As he drifted towards sleep, Grimmjow wondered when 'doing the right thing' had become important to him…

"What do I call you?" the shinigami asked softly, tearing him away from his thoughts.

"You call me Grimmjow," he answered, rubbing his lips against the other's and enjoying the soft, flowery scent around him, "and what shall I call you?"

"That is your decision," said the man.

Grimmjow sighed.

"Then I guess it's just Shinigami…at least until something else comes to me…"

He pulled the shinigami onto his chest and watched as he drifted off to sleep. He had to admit that his current situation beat the hell out of being alone. But something deep inside made him wonder if he hadn't set himself up for a really big fall.


	2. Establishing Boundaries

**Chapter 2: Establishing Boundaries**

Byakuya came awake with a start, his mind breaking free of the nightmare he had been in, but waking up to find that the real nightmare refused to pass. While certainly there was still hope of completing his mission, that hope now hung upon a decidedly unstable hollow and him. He studied the hollow's slightly frowning face for a moment, then carefully touched his face and deepened his sleep. As Grimmjow slept, Byakuya rose and knelt next to him, focusing his power and scanning his body from head to toe. When he was done, the noble slipped out of bed and moved to the hollow's zanpakutou. He studied it carefully, noting its unique specifications, then placed it as he had found it. Leaving Grimmjow sleeping, he put on a hooded cloak he found and slipped through the open door, to the outer room in the cave, then out into the darkness. He summoned a hell butterfly and whispered to make sure he was not heard.

"Our group crossed into Hueco Mundo two days ago. Upon reaching the fortress, we ascertained that there is little to no order in this place. We attempted to search the fortress for the documents that might have led us to the cure for the poison, but in the midst of the search, we were attacked and all but Rikichi and I were killed. Rikichi was carried off by a female hollow that might have been part equine. I have heard nothing of his fate. I was captured and briefly imprisoned in the fortress, but was taken into the custody of the one indicated as my target. While not the strongest in the way of power, he is sufficiently skilled and knowledgeable to make him useful. His mental and emotional makeup indicates an active code of honor…as was suggested in the notes gathered from his prior interactions with our forces. I have placed myself close to him and will continue to observe him and send reports as I am able. My next objectives are to first, return to Las Noches to search the records in the infirmary and second, to seek information on a hollow referred to as 'The Beast,' who seems to dominate the ones living in the fortress. I suspect that it may be stronger than the one I am with, however, from all I have heard, it seems to possess little knowledge or sense of honor. I believe that to establish leadership one must first destroy this creature."

Byakuya fell silent and released the hell butterfly, watching as it rose into the dark sky and disappeared. He sighed softly, feeling the heat on his skin where the hollow had marked him. The marks were not visible, but he felt the dark reiatsu there inside him. His body stilled hummed with warmth from their coupling and as he stood, looking up at the moon, his mind replayed the surprisingly gentle exchange. He hadn't known what the ritual would entail when he had read about it, but he had been certain (and correct) in concluding that it was the best way to connect with the hollow, to establish a place close to him and to watch him. What happened after that would be a mixture of fate and choices. He only hoped that what he had done hadn't been a mistake. While he thought it the best way to address Soutaichou's subdirective on his mission, he was certain that if the captain commander ever learned what he had done, he might spend some serious time contemplating the stars from inside the Seireitei's own prison. Still…he had to achieve both missions. It had been the only way to secure permission to enter Hueco Mundo to find the cure for Rukia, Renji, Ichigo, Uryu, Chad and Orihime…yes…their best hope of rejecting the poison also lay frozen, unable to use her powers…and thus, the situation had become alarmingly desperate, triggering his request of the captain commander.

_"Soutaichou, I must seek a cure for my sister's condition. I understand that Hueco Mundo is in disarray and that I face untenable odds in this. Still, if I approach with a small, highly skilled group, we should be able to slip in and out again…and will, of course provide full details on the conditions in Hueco Mundo, which I know would be of value to you."_

"_The knowledge would be extremely useful in helping us determine how best to bring our respective regimes into better balance. You have my permission to go…however…while you search for your sister, I have a specific task for you to carry out. It is critical that this task be completed and you are one of the few who would possess the ability and powers to address it. I warn you…you will be in constant peril once you have entered that world…and to stabilize the balance between us, you must not fail. See to your sister's cure, but do not try to return until you have also completed my subdirective, do you understand?"_

"_Hai, Soutaichou."_

_"Very well. Gather your team. Good luck and may kami walk with you."_

"You shouldn't be out here alone," Grimmjow's voice said from behind him, "even bearing my mark, you will still have some enemies, Shinigami."

Byakuya turned and met the hollow's eyes.

"I am aware of this. That is why I put on the cloak and hood before leaving the cave."

"Yeah, I didn't think you were that stupid…just a little on the reckless side, ne?"

He sighed and turned his eyes upward.

"Kinda makes us two of a kind…"

"How do you mean?"

"I mean I do things that are reckless sometimes…like listening to my conscience and rescuing you. That was reckless. It's likely to piss some of them off. We may end up getting some unwanted attention at some point. I know you are powerful…but I also noticed that you had no zanpakutou with you."

"It was broken in battle and is restoring itself. Once it has been fully restored, it will return to my hand when I call it. In the meantime, my kido skills will have to suffice."

"How good is your kido?"

Byakuya turned and raised his reiatsu, then fired twin blasts of blue fire at a boulder. The boulder exploded instantly, the blue flame that claimed it lighting up the area around them. Grimmjow blinked and stared.

"Yeah," he said, trying to sound unintimidated, "That should be useful. Just…try not to attract unnecessary attention like that. Flashy displays will catch the attention of the ones seeking supremacy. I have no interest in fighting them."

"Why not?" Byakukya asked quietly.

"Because I'm not a leader, that's why…and because I don't give a damn what happens to these bastards. A leader should care what happens to the ones who follow him, don't you think, Shinigami?" the blue-haired man asked, "Doesn't the one who leads you care about what happens to you? Though I wonder what the fuck he was thinking sending you here. I would say him sending you here is akin to wanting you to die."

"He understood my need to save my sister…and everyone who accompanied me was determined to be there. We chose our fate because we were protecting what is important to us. He wasn't going to stop us by refusing to allow us to come. He knew that. It didn't matter that he cared. Caring wasn't enough to stop us and he understood that."

"Kinda makes you wonder what was in it for him," said Grimmjow.

Byakuya turned his eyes back to the stars and didn't answer.

"Well," Grimmjow went on, "you said that you needed to find the information to help your sister. I think that we need to go back to Las Noches to do that, but we'll take a different way in to avoid attention. You can mask your reiatsu, right?"

Byakuya nodded and focused, shading his reiatsu until it resembled that of a hollow.

"Good," said Grimmjow, "Keep it like that until we get back from there. If possible, I would like to keep it quiet that you are a shinigami. Let them think you are a hollow. Keep yourself cloaked and hooded unless I tell you to remove it. I know that, being a powerful shinigami, you are probably not used to keeping a low profile, but I call the shots. I have the most knowledge of this place and you'll need to trust me that this is the best way. Come on."

Byakuya followed as the hollow turned in the direction of the fortress. They moved across the darkened desert at flash step speed and angled around to the back of the fortress. Grimmjow led him to a receiving area and down a broken conveyor belt that had carried shipments into and out of the fortress. They dropped down off of the conveyor belt and followed a maze of silent corridors. As they neared the infirmary, screams rose up in the distance. Byakuya froze, listening to the sounds. Grimmjow glanced at him and shook his head angrily.

"Bastards don't have humans or shinigamis to attack, so they're attacking weaker hollows. Fucking idiots…it's always something…"

"What should we do about it?" asked Byakuya, earning a sharp glare in response.

"We fucking stay out of it," Grimmjow snapped, leading him on, "It's none of our business what those freaks do to each other. Maybe they'll just wipe each other out and do us all a huge favor."

"Is that really what you think?" Byakuya asked softly.

The hollow loosed an annoyed breath.

"Hell no…but it's what I know. There's a difference in the two that you learn pretty damned quick here or you die, Shinigami. Remember that. You start worrying about defending the hollows and your sister's going to die. You don't want that, right?"

Byakuya shook his head.

"Then ignore them and come this way."

The noble obeyed, but his eyes continued to stray in the direction of the continuing screams and his body shook softly with rage.

"You don't like it, do you?" asked Grimmjow.

"What?" asked Byakuya, distracted.

"You're one of those hero types, right? If a guy's weaker than you, then you feel like you have to stand up for him. It doesn't really matter that some of the ones screaming and dying down there might have been the ones raping you yesterday. You hear them screaming and know that they're suffering at the hands of stronger hollows and you feel their pain. You have an impulse to save them…because they're weaker guys getting beat on."

"I have no compassion for those who take advantage of those weaker than they are, shinigami, human or hollow."

"In that order, right?" Grimmjow said, smiling at him, "Just trust me. The ones doing the screaming would do the same to the ones weaker than them. It's the way they are."

"How do any hollows manage to live long enough to age?" Byakuya asked in a low voice, "How do any children survive?"

"They die quickly as they are devoured by stronger ones…unless they find someone to protect them…kinda like you turning to me for your protection, though I suspect you'd do better than most on your own."

"If that's so, then why did you take me as your own?" Byakuya asked, meeting his eyes.

Grimmjow's smile widened.

"I told you. I can't figure out why, but I kinda like you. And it's been boring as hell around here. I might have died of boredom if you hadn't come along."

He studied Byakuya's expression and laughed softly.

"You don't like your fate hanging on something so frivolous, do you?"

Byakuya sighed.

"Better that than dying in the prisons at the hands of those creatures," he commented.

"I am one of those creatures," Grimmjow replied meaningfully, "Don't forget that, Shinigami. I may eventually decide I don't like you and I might kill you. So use me for your protection, but don't be stupid enough to trust me."

"You use the same reasoning as Aizen Sousuke," Byakuya said quietly.

Grimmjow turned and struck him hard, sending him crashing onto the wall. The wall shattered and the noble was forced through and into the next room. He sat for a moment in the wreckage of the ruined wall, studying the blood on his skin and ignoring Grimmjow, who had followed him into the room. The hollow stood over him, glaring down at him with rage in his eyes.

"Don't _ever_ compare me to that son of a bitch…not ever!" he said angrily, "Aizen Sousuke was one of _yours_, Shinigami. You would be smart to remember that! He came here acting like he was one thing…figuring out what it was that the powerful hollows wanted the most and holding it out like a carrot in front of us. We followed because we wanted what he promised, but his promises disappeared and left most of us dead! If it hadn't been for Orihime feeling sorry and touching me as she passed, I would have died with them! I am still here by mistake. Aizen wanted us all dead in the end!"

"Were you aware that Orihime is among the ones poisoned?" Byakuya asked, wiping the blood from his mouth.

"What?" the hollow asked sharply.

"I would have thought it would have occurred to you in that we did not turn to her to heal the others. She was overcome, as were Rukia, Ichigo, Abarai Renji, Chad and Uryuu. All of them are dying."

Grimmjow closed his eyes against the noble's words, then suddenly disappeared, leaving Byakuya sitting alone in the rubble. He climbed to his feet and continued in the direction they had been going, moving somewhat gingerly and holding his sword arm close to his body. In a short time, he located the infirmary and stepped inside, looking around cautiously and extending his senses. Reading the area as safe, he slipped inside and located what appeared to be a records computer. He frowned at the smashed monitor and moved on to a large set of file cabinets. He worked his way through them, carefully withdrawing several files. Glancing back at the door, he also took Grimmjow's file and slipped it inside one of the others. Still alone and uncertain how to proceed, he sat down at a table and opened the file on Rukia. Almost immediately, he located references to him and a picture as well. His eyes on the door, he took the picture and information about him and sent it through the shredding machine he found in one of the offices. He returned to the table and started to open Rukia's file again. It was then that he noticed that the screaming had stopped. He sat in the sudden silence, his heart racing softly. Then, he rose and moved back in the direction of the detention area. He met no one in the dark hallways and only silence met him upon his arrival in the prison. He moved forward cautiously, frowning in confusion as he found that the cells were empty of prisoners.

"You look surprised," said Grimmjow, startling the noble.

He chuckled at the noble's odd expression.

"Well…you said I should do something."

"And you care what I think?" Byakuya asked, "Why?"

Grimmjow scowled.

"Shut up…and come on. It looks like you found those files. Let's go. You can read through them back at the cave."

Byakuya followed him out of the fortress and back across the desert. Both were silent as they went and did not exchange any more words until they arrived at the cave. Grimmjow led him inside.

"Sit down," he said gruffly, "Let me take care of those injuries."

"I'm fine," Byakuya replied, dropping down to kneel on the cave floor.

Grimmjow watched as he began to pore over the files, then shook his head and knelt next to him. Healing power flared around his hands. Byakuya flinched and caught his breath, but said nothing as the hollow healed the damage he had caused. He sat next to Byakuya afterward, watching him read.

"You understand that you can't compare me to him, okay? I am nothing like that bastard. I may be a hollow, but even I wouldn't do what he did, not just to the hollows, his enemies, but to his own kind!"

"My apologies, Grimmjow," said Byakuya, observing him for a moment out of the corner of an eye, "It is only that your words were the same as his. I wasn't suggesting that your values were necessarily the same."

Grimmjow froze at the sound of the shinigamis voice saying his name. He watched as Byakuya continued to read, then leaned forward and lowered the light until the shinigami looked up at him.

"You can finish after we get some sleep," he said, taking hold of a slender hand, "Come on."

Byakuya said nothing, but set the file down and followed Grimmjow to the bed. The hollow climbed into the bed and pulled Byakuya in next to him. He curled his body around the shinigami's and nuzzled his throat near the shell of an ear. His warm breath sent a soft shiver through the noble and his heart raced softly as the hollow's lips brushed against his throat. He didn't resist in any way, but Grimmjow felt the tension in his body and sighed resignedly. He withdrew then and turned away, saying nothing.

Byakuya rested in the darkness next to him, studying the soft, blue hair and the white skin of his shoulders and back. He hesitated for a long moment, then moved closer and found the hollow's hand. He laced their fingers together and settled at Grimmjow's back. The hollow turned and met his eyes questioningly. Byakuya stared at him silently, remaining still as the hollow sat up and brought him up as well. He turned and brought their mouths together, keeping the pressure light. Byakuya met him with parted lips and half-lidded eyes.

Grimmjow hadn't intended to do much more than kissing. He figured that the shinigami hadn't really enjoyed their lovemaking before and didn't really want it to happen again. He was taken by surprise as the shinigami's lips left his and traveled in a long, slow fall of kisses down his chest and abdomen. He moved down between the Espada's parted thighs and continued to kiss his way downward. Grimmjow was tempted to say something flippant, but was struck silent by the sight of the lovely shinigami wrapping that perfect mouth around him and pleasuring him warmly. The slender, graceful fingers stimulated him gently. Grimmjow barely held onto his composure as the man intensified the delicious manipulations. If the shinigami hadn't chosen that moment to press down at the base of his bulging erection, he would have climaxed then. As it was, the shinigami held him trapped at the edges of bliss, that sinful mouth teasing him to the brink of insanity.

Finally, he could take no more. Strong hands fastened on Byakuya and dragged him upward. He moved with the Espada as Grimmjow turned and pushed him down onto his back. He barely had the presence of mind to properly prepare his shinigami lover before plunging into his body and claiming the delicious mouth that now tasted of the both of them. His reiatsu burned softly around them and although he tried to control the strength of his thrusting, the soft hands gripped him and urged him to move faster…to push in deeper. Breathy, incoherent moans reached his ears and he lost all control at the sound. He pounded into the slender, white body, his mind disappearing into the pleasure. He heard his name…just a whisper in the torrent that raged around them and everything disappeared into the sound of that voice. He thrust in hard and emptied himself in sharp, seething pulses, listening to the sweet sounds the shinigami made and feeling the explosion of warmth on his skin. He pulled free of Byakuya's arms and bent over him, slowly licking the shinigami's soft skin. Afterwards, he fell again on that wonderful mouth, burying himself in it until finally sleep overtook him. Byakuya rested quietly in his arms for a long time after, watching the Espada's face in the ever-present darkness. When he was sure that Grimmjow was asleep, he freed himself from the hollow and slipped outside again. He summoned a hell butterfly and spoke a message into it.

_"I have located files on the ones affected by the poison, as well as my target. I will study the information and decide what to do from there. The subject continues to show signs of a set of values, a desire to protect what he considers his. He shows signs of concerning himself also with what others believe about him, as well as deep sensitivity when he is misunderstood. He does seem to evince characteristics not associated with most hollows. I will continue to observe and report."_

He sensed movement in the cave and sent the hell butterfly winging away. Grimmjow found him staring up at the stars again, and gently took his hand and led him back inside.


	3. Heat

**Chapter 3: Heat**

Grimmjow kept one arm wrapped around his servant's slender body and ran the fingers of the other hand through the shinigami's silken hair. He let his fingers slide lazily over the soft expanse of his skin, lingering on his cheek, the long, graceful throat and down the length of his back. He didn't mean to make himself aroused again, but it was happening anyway. The shinigami felt the pressure where his body laid across the Espada's and a dark gray opened and observed him appraisingly. Grimmjow read the expression as willing, but as always with this man, cool and distant. He caught the hand that slid down his abdomen and laced their fingers together.

"You know," he said quietly, "we don't have to have sex every time we lie down together. Not that I don't have the urge…who the fuck wouldn't be turned on every time they were touched by you, ne? But it isn't necessary to listen to that instinct all of the time."

"Are you saying that you don't want me to pleasure you except when you ask me to?" queried Byakuya, looking at him with curiosity.

"No," said Grimmjow, "It just means that you shouldn't feel obligated to respond every time I get hard. I think we'd both get pretty damned tired very quickly. And anyway, I can tell that even though you are willing, you don't seem to desire it…and it wasn't a condition of your subservience anyway. It was only really required during the marking ritual. I think that it shouldn't continue if it is one sided is what I'm saying. You don't strike me as the insincere type…or one who does things like that without connecting to his emotions. And I do feel the way you detach when we are having sex."

"I…detach?" Byakuya repeated, frowning.

"Yeah…your body is engaged, but one look in your eyes tells me that you are somewhere else. I guess it's understandable considering you are just doing this to save your sister. There is true resolve in what you're doing, but it's as though you won't let your heart be involved in any of it. That's pretty smart strategically, but you'll wear down that heart awfully quickly, shutting it off like that. Too much of that and you'll end up like me…hollow where your heart should be."

Byakuya sighed softly and let his head fall onto Grimmjow's shoulder.

"I may not have a hole in my body…but what there was of a heart disappeared a long time ago."

"You mean…you're always like this when you have sex with someone?" Grimmjow asked, surprised, "I sure wouldn't have expected that…not from you."

"I haven't had sex with anyone in over fifty years, not since I lost my wife to illness."

"But just like that, you gave it up for me? Well me technically, but really for your sister."

"She is actually my late wife's sister, who I took into my family after my wife's death."

"It sounds to me like you were really devoted. Was there anyone before your wife?"

Byakuya closed his eyes.

"No."

"So all you've ever known is sex that was connected to love, but now you can trade it for my help finding your sister? That easily?"

"My wife asked me to protect her sister. I am doing this to honor that promise."

"Okay…completely understandable…but just try to understand this. When I am with someone, it is always an honest exchange. If I initiate sex with you, then it's fine for you to respond with your body and not your heart. You are a servant. If I want something from you, you obey. There is truth in what both of us do. But if you are the one who initiates sex, then you should only do that if you desire it…not because you think I want it. I will tell you what I want. When you initiate something like that, your heart should be in it…or it is a lie. And I hate lies. Lies are destructive. Lies can kill. You can feel whatever you want, or withhold whatever you don't want to share, but don't offer me something unless it is offered with honesty. Does that make sense to you?"

Byakuya nodded.

"Then, I think it's time for me to give you your name."

The shinigami's intelligent gray eyes fastened on him curiously.

"Shin…it has many meanings. Truth…fidelity…faith…and heart. I think it suits you perfectly," Grimmjow said, slipping his fingers back into the dark strands of Byakuya's hair, "And one more thing, Shin, don't ever again tell me you are heartless. You are no more heartless than this desert is wet. You have heart to spare…maybe enough to replace the one I lost, ne?"

He paused to admire the look of genuine gratitude in the shinigami's eyes.

"Now…if you don't mind," he went on, "I think that I will indulge in you for a bit. I want to hear how your name sounds when I say it while I'm making love to you."

Without waiting for an answer, he tightened his fingers in the shinigami's hair and attacked his warm mouth hungrily. He thrust his tongue in deeply and was surprised at the intensity of his servant's response. His tongue curled lightly around Grimmjow's, his mouth opened wider to invite a more thorough exploration, and the dark eyes that always seemed so distant held unexpected warmth. And when their bodies joined, those eyes remained clear and focused. Grimmjow felt a sudden flurry of emotion that seemed to center where his heart used to be. He wondered then if it hadn't been a mistake to say what he had. Because now there was no question what was happening. The shinigami's heart was starting to turn in his direction. He thought about the connotations of that and knew he couldn't let it happen. When push came to shove, they were vastly different creatures, neither of whom belonged in the other's world. For this one to attach himself to a hollow was foolish…foolish and reckless. But somehow as he became one with the shinigami, he didn't feel like a hollow anymore. He didn't feel dead and lonely and cold. His body hummed with warmth and life, his head spun with pleasure and he could almost feel a soft pulse coming from that place where his heart had once been. And even knowing how soon it would likely end, he couldn't help but wrap himself in it for as long as it lasted.

He thrust in deeply, seeking the center of pleasure inside the shinigami's writhing body. The soft hands tightened on him and the shinigami's back arched. Their eyes locked and their lips met, then Grimmjow released the name he had given the shinigami in something between a whisper and a soft moan. He felt Shin's body react…a hard shiver, a catching of breath and the explosion of hot seed onto their skin. The look in the gray eyes was feverish and stunned and it brought a smile to Grimmjow's lips as he thrust in hard and held their bodies tightly together…as the very life pulsed out of him and into the other. And being pressed against each other that way, it almost felt like the heart that was beating with such force and abandon was his own. Then, looking down into the shinigami's stricken expression, he realized that it was…

He tore himself away and sat on the edge of the bed, holding a hand over the hole in his torso. It was faint and he might have been imagining it, but he still felt that soft pounding beneath his skin. He stared at Shin in disbelief.

"What did you do to me? What is this?" he asked, his face going white, "Did you…was it you? Did you do something to me? Tell me!"

"I did nothing," said Shin, reaching out and placing a hand against the hollow's chest.

He drew back in surprise, his eyes wide and his breath catching. Grimmjow stood and started backing towards the door. Shin rose and started to follow.

"No!" said Grimmjow sharply, "Don't come near me! Don't touch me!"

He turned and disappeared out the door…into the desert…moving as fast as he could with no destination.

XXXXXXXXXX

Byakuya looked on in stunned silence as Grimmjow disappeared. His eyes continued to stare in the direction the hollow had gone for some time after. He knew better than to follow. Both because of the prevalence of enemies and because he sensed that the hollow needed to regain control, he held himself in place and considered his options. He knew that what the two of them had felt was real. There was no mistaking it. But he dared not seek answers from the Seireitei about such a thing. There was only one safe place to find answers now. He summoned a hell butterfly.

"Urahara-san, I know that you are busy with the samples Unohana taichou sent to you, but I must ask you an important question. Has a hollow ever been known to show signs of regaining his heart? I think you will understand my need to have the question and answer kept in confidence. Please respond as soon as you are able."

He sent the small creature winging away and turned back into the cave. Sighing in frustration, he turned to the only thing likely to keep him distracted until the hollow returned. He picked up the file containing Rukia's information and pored over the pages slowly, from beginning to end. He shivered softly at the details of what had happened to her as she battled her way to Orihime's side. He shook his head, amazed at the thoroughness of what had been recorded. There were numerous references to video feeds stored in computers at the fortress. Byakuya wondered if perhaps he should go back. It was possible that a working computer could be found within the fortress. There had to be some places the traitors had secreted themselves at times to consider strategy…and Aizen, he knew, had watched those around him closely. Yes, he had to go back and conduct a more extensive search. And as he continued to search the files on the ones poisoned, he realized that, as most of the scientific notes recorded were taken by Gin, that his search should center on that man's room and lab.

He looked up and reached out with his senses, trying to figure out how far away Grimmjow was. Still unable to sense the hollow, he decided that it would be better to go and conduct the search on his own. He set the cloak and hood in place, then left the cave and flash stepped back to Las Noches. He used the dock area entrance Grimmjow showed him and kept his reiatsu carefully controlled.

The hallways were silent as he traversed them on catlike feet, reaching out with his senses and trying to center on Gin's reiatsu. It was faint, but he was still able to follow it past the throne room and into the living areas. He found the room that held the most of Gin's reiatsu and slipped inside. A basic search yielded little but a confirmation that this had been Gin's room. But then, Byakuya knew that Gin was not a trusting person…and he would have kept his personal things in a hidden place. He made his way around the room again, probing the area carefully. He caught a surprised breath as he suddenly found what he had been looking for…a reiatsu trail that led into a wall…a hollowness when tapped. He raised his power, teasing it gently until it was identical to Gin's. It was a horrendously difficult technique that only a few had ever managed. He had managed it once, but wasn't sure he could fool whatever device Gin used to protect the chamber. He found a hidden release and, holding his breath, activated it. There was a soft whirring sound that made him step back in sudden wariness. That bit of caution saved him from being killed instantly as sharp knives exploded out of the walls.

His shielding destroyed most of them, but several broke through and sank into shoulder, chest and side. He held himself back from crying out and pulled the weapons free, then dropped onto the bed, panting with pain and using whatever he could reach to staunch the flow of blood. The hits he had taken were serious…perhaps life threatening if not treated. He dragged himself to his feet and made his way back to the infirmary, where he used what medical supplies he could find to bind his wounds. But he knew he had lost a lot of blood. He couldn't stay in the fortress because of the very real threat of discovery. Neither did he want to give away his route out of the fortress by leaving blood traces. Instead, he broke for the entry at flash step speed. Abandoning stealth, he used his speed to break free of the fortress and then charged out into the desert.

The area came alive around him, hollows seeming to crawl from every shadow and crevice. The marking on his body seemed to deter most of them, but several more powerful hollows gave chase. They never came close enough for him to have been in danger of capture, but they pushed him to use his full speed. And hurt as he was, he simply couldn't maintain that kind of speed for very long. As he drew closer to the cave, he felt his flash step slowing. His breathing became rough and his heart pounded strangely. He slowed to a walk, sensing that his pursuers had given up the chase.

As he reached the cave entrance, he called Grimmjow's name, but received no answer. He entered the cave and concealed himself in the inner room and closing the door behind him. He removed his torn and bloodied clothing and bandages, carefully bathed, then bandaged his wounds again and wrapped himself in a warm yukata. Still feeling lightheaded from loss of blood, he dropped onto the bed and fell asleep almost immediately.

He woke sometime later to the sound of a garbled voice saying his name. Opening his eyes only revealed that his vision, too, had been affected and all that registered was a haze of blue. He felt an ache in his throat and a strange heaviness to his body. Even breathing seemed to hurt.

He heard the distorted voice again and shivered as his yukata was opened and icy hands touched him. He heard a hiss of frustration and more words he couldn't understand, then a cool cloth was placed on his forehead. Healing light rose up around him, but even that couldn't seem to stop the spinning feeling in his head, the flashes of heat on his skin and the hard shivers that gripped his whole body.

A warm body wrapped around his and the flare of healing energy rose up again. He heard a voice in his ear, but even though he knew whose it must be, it refused to resolve itself in his head. He tried to speak, but all that he could manage was a soft groan of discomfort, which was immediately met with an admonishing whisper and light pressure on his lips.

He managed to drift off for a time, but woke in a heavy sweat, shaking and leaking reiatsu. Cold hands found his wrists and sealed away his power and he heard that familiar voice talking to him again. He couldn't understand or answer, but he managed to place slight pressure on the hand that held his. Finally, one word reached him.

"Sleep."

He drifted off again, but as he faded out, felt his body being lifted and carried. He didn't know how long he laid, suspended in someone's arms, but he knew they were moving swiftly. He felt it when the one carrying him slowed and he was taken inside somewhere.

He was set down somewhere soft and he could hear a second voice along with the first. Again, he tried to speak, but soft hands touched his face and sent him spinning away. Everything faded into darkness and near silence, the only sound reaching him, a soft rushing in his ears.

He woke later, thrashing and groaning in pain and felt strong hands capture him and hold him down. The voices were clearer now and he was catching more words.

"…sleep…you need…here…am _not_ leaving and neither are you. Rest, Shin…shh…rest."

He let himself drift off and slept more peacefully. When he came awake again, his body was considerably cooler and more comfortable. His yukata had been replaced with another and he was buried in soft blankets.

"He looks better," he heard Grimmjow say in a low voice, "I think he might have decided to stay with us. Thanks."

"Nel is happy she could save the pretty shinigami's life," said a childlike voice, "Nel was worried she might not be able to and he would die. That would make Nel sad. That would make Nel cry!"

"Hey…don't start that again!" Grimmjow complained, "Every time you start crying, those idiots show up and give me an awful headache!"

"Nel's friends aren't idiots!"

"Okay, sorry. Look…how much longer do you think he will sleep?"

"Nel isn't sure, but he shouldn't leave here for at least two days. His wounds were very bad and there was a poison. If Nel hadn't…"

"Yeah, I know," Grimmjow said solemnly, "I saw. I don't need a recap. Just…thanks, Nel."

"Nel was happy to help."

The voices faded away and the room grew quiet again. As Byakuya drifted off again, he felt a warm body wrap around his and felt soft breath on his skin.

"Baka," Grimmjow muttered, "You should have stayed put like I told you."


	4. Heart to Heart

**Chapter 4: Heart to Heart**

Byakuya opened his eyes and found himself looking at a scraggly toddler hollow with a broken mask on her head. She smiled at him, but her eyes were watering and her cheeks appeared to be filled with something…

"What…?" he began, then was stopped as the small girl's mouth opened wide and expelled something warm, wet and slimy onto his bared shoulder, chest and abdomen.

He tried to sit up, but the child began to frantically wave her arms to stop him.

"What…what are you…d-doing?" he said, his teeth chattering slightly as the disgusting liquid dribbled down his body and began to sink beneath his skin and cool.

"Nel makes saliva to fix your wounds," the girl said, wide-eyed.

As much as his stomach quailed, he was curious.

"Your…_it_…_that_…has healing powers?" he asked, staring.

Nel nodded.

It heals the cuts and the poison in them," she explained.

"You can cure poison?" he asked quickly.

The girl nodded.

"Some poisons I can cure, like the one in your cuts. Some I can't."

Byakuya's eyes grew intense.

"May I send a sample of that fluid to some friends? You see, my sister has been poisoned and I am trying to find a cure for that poison."

"Nel doesn't mind, but Nel wonders why the pretty shinigami looks here for that," Nel said, frowning.

"I am looking here because this is where my sister and her friends were when they were somehow poisoned. I have to find where and how they were poisoned…and I must find a way to cure it."

The girl tilted her head to the side.

"Does Nel know your sister?" the girl asked, "We don't see so many shinigamis here, especially now that Aizen Sousuke went to prison."

"She was here before that. Her name is Rukia."

Nel's eyes went wide.

"Nel _knows_ Rukia! Nel does! She came with Ichigo! They are Nel's friends too! Rukia is poisoned? That's terrible! It makes Nel sad! It makes Nel cry!" she said, her eyes filling with tears.

Byakuya watched in stunned silence as the mouth that had expelled the healing saliva opened wide again and loosed a howl of despair. The sound rang in his ears and send pain like shards of glass through his head.

"Oh…" he groaned, covering his ears, "Oh…child…don't cry. I'm here to find a cure."

Nel stopped the horrid sound, but froze with her mouth open and tears running down her face.

"Pretty Shinigami will find a cure?" she said, wide-eyed, "Can Nel help?"

"Oh…um…" Byakuya stammered, trying to untie his tongue, "well, it's dangerous. I have to search Las Noches and there are many dangerous hollows there. I wouldn't want you to be hurt as I was…"

"Please take Nel? Please? Please?" she went on, sending fresh bolts of pain through his head, "Nel won't be hurt by hollows. Nel knows how to stay out of the way! Please take Nel? Please?"

"Well…I…"

"Better plan to take her along, Shin," Grimmjow said from the doorway, "unless you like suffering from headaches. She is actually a lot more powerful than she looks…and she does know how to stay out of the way…right Nel?"

"That's right! Nel is _good_ at hiding! Once Dondokchakka and Pesche and Bawabawa took a whole week to find Nel! It made them cry and cry, like this…"

"Wait…wait…" Byakuya gasped, "I know how you mean. And if Grimmjow says that it is all right, then you can go. Just…be careful. I lost many friends there when we were attacked."

Nel's eyes went wide again.

"You were with the boy who likes Renji-san?" Nel asked, "He said he was looking for another shinigami…was he looking for you?"

"You…saw Rikichi?" Byakuya said, an eye darting to Grimmjow, "What happened to him? Where did he go? I saw him carried off by a female hollow with legs like a horse."

Nel giggled.

"Pretty Shin is funny! He doesn't know it was Nel's other form!"

"It's her resurreccion…her more powerful form. She saved your friend."

"You have my gratitude for that," Byakuya said, meeting her eyes warmly, "but where is Rikichi now?"

"Nel sent him back to his world. He said he would be back for the other shinigami. So you don't have to worry about Rikichi-san. He is safe."

"That is a relief," Byakuya sighed, leaning back against the pillows, his eyes drooping wearily.

"Oh, Pretty Shin needs to sleep now. Do your wounds hurt anymore? If they do, then Nel can heal them again."

"Actually…they do not feel so bad at all now. Your power has taken much of the pain away…arigato."

"Nel," said Grimmjow, "Why don't you go and find Dondochakka and Pesche and see if they found anything interesting today."

Nel nodded and disappeared. Grimmjow stood with his arms crossed and his back against the wall.

"So…" he said in a low voice, "you look a lot better. We should be able to go back to my place tomorrow."

"What about searching Las Noches?" Byakuya asked, "I was near to getting into Gin's secret lab. I must get inside to…"

"Don't you listen?" Grimmjow said tersely, "We're going back to my place. You aren't in any shape to be running around the fortress. Just lie there and get some rest for now. Do you want Nel to bring you some tea?"

"Oh…no…I'm afraid I wouldn't be able to stay awake to drink it."

"Fine then. I'll be back in the morning," Grimmjow said, turning away.

"Wait," Byakuya said, stopping him, "Where are you going?"

"Out. I'll be back in the morning."

Without another word, he disappeared. Byakuya leaned back against the pillows, his body still aching and his mind pondering the hollow's change in behavior.

_He began to feel his heart beating. Being that he is a hollow, it has to have been a shock to him. Perhaps he just needs time…_

He reached out with his senses and was immediately sorry as his head throbbed and his stomach pitched at the outlay of power. He closed his eyes and tried to sleep, but couldn't get past how close he had been to finding his answers before being injured.

"Nel was wondering if Pretty Shin would like to talk alone," said a voice from his darkened doorway.

"What would you like to talk about, child?" he asked softly.

"Nel wonders if something she remembers is right. Nel remembers sitting on a sand dune and watching the shinigamis fight with Yammy…and there was a pretty shinigami with decorations in his hair. He looked like you. He was one of the taichous."

Byakuya met her eyes silently.

"Are you going to kill Grimmjow?" she asked in a trembling voice.

Byakuya sighed.

"No," he said softly, "That is not why I was sent."

"But Nel thinks you aren't only here to help Rukia."

"No," he admitted, "I have another mission…but I do not want Grimmjow to know. He would misunderstand. He would be angry."

Nel giggled.

"Grimmjow is always angry," she said, smiling sadly, "Nel thinks that he's not happy being a hollow. But he was scared."

"He was…scared?" Byakuya repeated questioningly.

"He thought that Pretty Shin was going to die. He was pacing and growling and yelling at Dondochakka and Pesche until they ran away crying. Then he got quiet and he told Nel something. He told Nel that his heart started to beat again…and he remembered that a very long time ago, before he was a hollow, he was a shinigami. But something awful happened to him and he became like us. He doesn't remember because it was so long ago. But when his heart started to beat, he remembered being in the Rukongai of Soul Society. I think it made him sad to remember."

"I'm sorry," Byakuya whispered, "I feel as though that was my fault. He was with me when his heart started to beat and I wonder if it happened because of me…something I did. I don't know what it was, but…I'm worried for him."

"Pretty Shin…loves Grimmjow?"

"I…I…" Byakuya stammered, looking down at his hands, "I'm not sure. I do know that I don't want anything bad to happen to him. I wonder where he went."

"He went to the fortress to watch others challenge The Beast."

"Who is that?" Byakuya asked.

Nel moved closer and climbed onto the bed next to him.

"The Beast is a big, smelly, mean hollow that no one can seem to kill. He kills lots of other hollows and some hollows call him their master. But he is always angry and he kills everyone who comes near him. They say that the new king will be the one who kills him."

"Does Grimmjow plan to fight him?"

Nel laughed.

"No, of course not! Grimmjow hates being a hollow! He wouldn't want to be king. He wanted Nel to be queen, but Nel won't kill The Beast. Nel hates killing!"

"Grimmjow believes that your powers are strong enough that you could kill The Beast?"

"Nel was third Espada a long time ago, but didn't like it. Nel and her friends went away from Las Noches because Nel doesn't like to kill."

"But one who rules this place must sometimes kill to keep the peace…to keep order. Do you understand?"

"Nel understands," the little hollow said, nuzzling closer to him, "Nel just hates fighting and hurting."

Byakuya loosed a soft sigh and wrapped an arm around her.

"I do too."

She stared up at him in amazement.

"But Pretty Shin is even more powerful than Nel! Pretty Shin and the mean shinigami beat Yammy and Pretty Shin is a taichou!"

"But that doesn't mean that I enjoy fighting. I think that the most respectable defenders of our lands are the ones who hate fighting…the ones who love peace and order, but who lift their swords, hurt, kill, or die, because if they don't, worse things will happen. And those powers that we are given are there to help us defend what is important to us. So yes, I hate fighting, but I will fight to protect what is important."

He paused for a moment, looking down at her.

"I think that you already know this, Nel…but sometimes understanding is not enough. Sometimes we must learn from experience. Sometimes it is the only way."

"Pretty Shin is very wise, Nel thinks."

She cuddled up against him and closed her eyes.

"Nel is sleepy. Does Pretty Shin know any stories?"

Byakuya smiled.

"Perhaps."

"Will you tell Nel a story?"

Byakuya nodded.

"What kind of story?" he asked.

She opened her mouth to answer, but was interrupted by the arrival of a hell butterfly. Byakuya caught his breath softly, realizing it was an emergency message.

_This a priority one message…Byakuya, we have come to realize something important about the poisonings. The original ones who were affected by the poison are not the only cases. Since you left the Seireitei, all personnel dispatched to Hueco Mundo during that time have shown signs of poisoning. Unohana taichou, Kurotsuchi taichou, Zaraki taichou and the subordinates who were included in the mission have had to be placed in cryogenic suspension. Urahara Kisuke has been called to assist us, and has informed us that the poison is placed by exposure to Hueco Mundo. It seems to be something that is emitted into the environment and is circulated on the desert breezes during the sandstorms. He has samples and is continuing to analyze them, but he says that you must find the source of the poison and neutralize it before we can risk anyone else entering Hueco Mundo. Realize that the clock is ticking for you now. Although Urahara Kisuke says that the progress of the poison is slowed while still in Hueco Mundo, it will eventually overcome you. You must find the source of the poison before you succumb to it. Otherwise, all of the ones affected will die!"_

"Oh no!" cried Nel, her eyes filling with tears, "Pretty Shin is still poisoned? Nel will stop it!"

She leaned over Byakuya and placed her hands on his chest, focusing deeply. White power flared around the two and flowed into the shinigami's body. Nel furrowed her brow and raised her power. Tears ran down her face as she focused harder.

"Nel is trying, Pretty Shin, but Nel can't stop this! It is a powerful poison that is inside Pretty Shin. It was so powerful that Nel couldn't see it until she knew it was there!"

"What's all the noise?" said Grimmjow from the doorway, "I thought I told you to let Shin sleep. He needs to if he's going to get better."

"But…but he…he…"

Nel descended into sobs. Grimmjow frowned down at her questioningly, then looked up at Byakuya.

"What's with her? Did something happen while I was gone?" the Espada asked quickly.

"Grimmjow has to help!" sobbed Nel, "Pretty Shin has the other poison in him…and if no one finds out how to stop it, then Pretty Shin is going to die!"

Nel stopped for a moment.

"The message said that everyone who came to Hueco Mundo got poisoned. That…that means Ichigo and all his friends…all of them…"

"Don't worry about it Nel," Grimmjow said, placing a hand on her shoulder, "We're going to find a cure for them."

He looked up at Byakuya.

"That's why Shin is going to rest as he's been told…because tomorrow we are going to start looking for that cure."

"Really?" said Nel, rubbing her wet eyes and gazing up at him hopefully, "We'll save them?"

"Yeah," said Grimmjow, "We aren't going to let anyone die…I promise."

Nel let out a long, shuddering sigh. Grimmjow shook his head reprovingly.

"Now scram, will you? Shin has to sleep…and so do you. You're coming with us."

"Okay!" said the girl, jumping up excitedly.

She looked down at where her tears had dropped onto Byakuya's skin.

"Nel cried on Pretty Shin," she observed.

"Not to worry," said Byakuya, patting her on the head, then watching as she scampered away, "It isn't the worst thing that's found its way onto my skin today…"

He looked up at Grimmjow.

"I don't suppose there is a place to shower?"

"What?" said Grimmjow, smirking, "This is Hueco Mundo! There aren't any sources of water."

"What about the shower in your cave?" Byakuya asked.

"It is supplied by Las Noches…and will eventually run dry. Sorry," he said, looking amused, "You're just going to have to get used to being dirty for awhile!"

"Hmm…" said Byakuya, noting his filthy skin, "It does seem that it can't be helped."

"Shut up and go to sleep, now," Grimmjow said, returning to the doorway.

"Grimmjow…"

"What?"

"Why are you avoiding me?"

"You're kidding right?" said the Espada, staring, "The last time I got next to you, my heart started beating again. I'm a hollow. Hollows don't have hearts, don't you get it? It isn't natural! And even if it was real…it probably wouldn't last."

He met Byakuya's eyes meaningfully.

"And some of us don't like being teased like that. Now shut up and go to sleep. I'll be back when it's time to leave."

He disappeared before Byakuya could answer. Sighing, he turned onto his side and looked out the small opening that was cut into the wall next to him. He stared at the stars and crescent moon until his eyes wouldn't stay open. Just as he was drifting off, another hell butterfly appeared. Urahara Kisuke's voice rose up out of it.

"_Byakuya…what you described to me…that effect…I need to know everything that happened around it. I've heard of it happening, but only in very rare cases. I need to know the exact circumstances that surrounded this. Where was the hollow when this happened? To what things might he have been exposed? What was he doing just before it happened? Don't worry, I won't tell anyone what you tell me. Obviously, there are things about this that should be kept quiet…especially because of Soutaichou's subdirective. Yeah, I know why you were sent there…that it wasn't just to find the cure for the poison. And I'm going to give you a warning you need to listen to. Don't get distracted. Focus on what Soutaichou sent you to do and avoid doing anything that will get in the way of that mission…understand? Because I have an inkling already about what you're going to tell me…and if it's as I suspect, then you are in danger of sabotaging your own mission. Focus, Kuchiki taichou…or you'll blow everything! And if you do, quite a few people are going to die, including your sister and you…Just thought you should hear it again. Wouldn't want you to forget what's a stake here…"_

"What was that?" said Grimmjow from the doorway, "You got a message from the Seireitei?"


	5. Payback

**Chapter 5: Payback**

Byakuya noted the wary look in Grimmjow's eyes and nodded.

"I actually received two messages. The earlier message that Nel spoke of told me that in addition to the ones who came with Ichigo to rescue Orihime, all of the taichous and subordinates who came to help in the rescue have been affected by the poison."

Grimmjow looked at him carefully.

"Nel said you were poisoned. That means that you must have been here when the taichous came," he said in a low, suspicious tone, "but being that I was unconscious, I don't know who was in that group."

"But understand that even if I hadn't been here before, I would have been poisoned anyway. The message also said that the poison is being emitted from some point in Hueco Mundo and travels on the sandstorms. And now, in addition to finding a cure, I must find the source of the poisoning and neutralize it, so that the poisoning stops."

"Hmmm…" muttered Grimmjow, frowning, "What was the second message?"

"I was concerned about what happened to you, but I knew you wouldn't want me to tell anyone, so I contacted someone who I knew would be discreet, and one who knows a great deal about the hollows. I asked if he had ever come across a hollow with those conditions. The second message was a set of questions he asked to help him with his research."

"You told him about me?" Grimmjow growled, his voice rising.

"No," said Byakuya quickly, "I gave no identifying information. And if you do not wish to have this man's help, I do not have to send a reply. But I had hoped that…given your reaction…that I might be able to help you find out why that happened."

Grimmjow sighed in annoyance.

"Hell, anyone can figure that out! What happened was that you finally let down your guard and instead of just having sex, we made love. Are you _really_ going to reveal to someone that you were fucking a hollow willingly? That oughta go over well at home!"

"Precisely why I did not send the message home, but to this other person…who I trust to be both nonjudgmental and discreet."

"Huh…well, I hope you're right…because your ass will fry if your soutaichou finds out. That's got to be worth a death sentence, right?"

"Most likely," Byakuya admitted.

He paused, studying the blue-haired Espada's calming expression.

"I hope you are not angry with me for taking liberties about what happened to you. I was concerned for you…as I said…and I thought that perhaps this friend of mine could shed some light on what it was."

Grimmjow held his eyes for several long minutes, then his eyes softened.

"Guess I can't be too upset, seeing as I took off like that and you are going to keep this quiet. It may not earn a death sentence, but many of the hollows would certainly look down on me for falling for a shinigami. I mean, how stupid is that?"

The Espada froze as the admission left his lips. He closed his eyes and let out a frustrated breath.

"That's it, right? That's got to be why it happened. It didn't just happen because we opened up sexually…fuck, this bad, Shin."

"Why?" asked Byakuya, "because we come from different worlds? Grimmjow, Nel told me that you were once a shinigami."

"She has a big mouth."

"She was trying to help," said Byakuya, "and she may have been on to something…"

"I don't give a shit. Shin, you are a shinigami and I'm a hollow, end of story! This thing that happened was just some kind of mistake because we opened up too much. It doesn't mean anything…and it won't change anything, so give it a rest! Ask your friend whatever questions you want, but he's just going to tell you the same thing. This is not some fucking fairy tale where you screw the frog and he turns into a prince, okay? I am a hollow…"

"You don't need to be offensive," Byakuya said in an annoyed tone, "I understand what you're saying without that."

"Hollows _are_ offensive. Live with it!"

"And in any case, in popular lore, a mere kiss is enough to bring about the frog's transformation. Coitus is unnecessary."

"What are you? A damned encyclopedia of folklore? Just do us both a favor and shut up! You're annoying!"

"Splendid," said Byakuya, "Offensive and Annoying, a perfect match. We could write our own fractured fairy tale…"

"Ugh, stop!"

"And the proper word would have been 'anthology' not encyclopedia."

"He doesn't shut up _or_ get any less annoying! What the hell was I thinking making this ass my servant?"

"As you so eloquently stated before, I am a shinigami. The only one making an ass of himself around here is you."

"That's it! Shut up!" Grimmjow yelled, jumping onto the bed.

Byakuya's eyes widened as the Espada's hand caught his and pushed them down on either side of his head. The hollow's uninjured form held his down easily and the snarling face moved in close to his.

"In case you forgot," Grimmjow snapped, "You agreed to become my servant! That means that you do what I tell you! I told you to shut up and get some sleep and if you don't, then I'm going to knock you out!"

"And how," Byakuya said calmly, "do you expect me to fall asleep with you yelling at me and lying on top of me?"

"Well what do you expect me to do? You won't shut up! You keep going on and on, just like one of those stupid sets of chattering teeth Nel plays with!"

"I beg your pardon…but did you just compare _me_ to a child's toy? I guess that means the child in this case would be _you_!"

Fierce blue eyes locked with stubborn gray and Grimmjow clenched his teeth in fury.

"Knock it off! What do I have to do to get you to shut up?" he roared.

"I would suggest that you stop yelling at me and if you are going to lie on top of me, you should consider relieving the sexual tension so we can _both_ sleep," Byakuya said, sounding completely unruffled.

"Relieving the…" Grimmjow began, then he stopped and groaned, "Fuck! Fine, I give up! Go ahead and talk all you want and don't sleep! One less fucking shinigami is no skin off my nose!"

He climbed off the bed and stomped to the door. Feeling the shinigami's eyes on him, he couldn't help but look back to where Byakuya rested on the bed, watching him and almost smiling.

"I know I'm going to regret this," the Espada groaned, "but why the hell are you _looking _at me like that? Are you _trying_ to drive me insane? What kind of expression is that anyway?"

"It is called an 'affectionate' expression. Good night, Grimmjow."

The hollow sighed heavily.

"Good night, Shin," he said, turning away.

Byakuya closed his eyes and sighed softly. In minutes, he was asleep. Grimmjow watched quietly from the shadows, enjoying the way the moon lit his face. He had to keep reminding himself that this was a shinigami and he was a hollow…that they had no business becoming attached to each other. Shin would have to leave eventually and Grimmjow hated knowing how that was going to make him feel. But they came from different worlds. There was no avoiding that. And after what happened, the blue-haired Espada knew that he couldn't afford to forget that again. He had thought, at first, that a short-term relationship would be fine. It was just about the shinigami's obvious beauty and Grimmjow's loneliness. It had made sense for him at the time.

He hadn't expected that he would react so strongly…and for some reason, he had felt guilty knowing that Shin had only been intimate with his wife, prior to her death…that he hadn't been with anyone since.

Well…except for the horde of hollows that had raped him…and the Espada who had made him feel like a possession. So, he thought, maybe it wasn't just the oddness that had happened…the beating of a heart that shouldn't be there. Maybe there was more to it than that. Shin was beautiful and despite the power he sensed in the shinigami, he was emotionally vulnerable. He didn't, Grimmjow thought, belong with a damned hollow, who probably just reminded him of the ones that had tormented him.

"Can't Grimmjow sleep?" asked Nel softly from somewhere in the hallway near him.

"Not really," he said shortly, "_You_ should be asleep."

"Nel was wondering something."

"Yeah?"

"Did you find them all? All of the ones who hurt Pretty Shin?"

"Yeah, I did. Killed every damned one of them. Sorry, I know that bothers you, but after what they did…"

"Nel knows Grimmjow was mad because they hurt his shinigami. Nel thinks you should tell Pretty Shin they are gone. Sometimes Pretty Shin has terrible nightmares. Nel took away his dreams sometimes while he was having nightmares and knows they were about the hollows you killed. Maybe if he knew they were gone…"

"It wouldn't matter," said Grimmjow in a low voice, "those kinds of things don't go away just because they're gone. You should know that. You have pain in your past."

"Yes, Nel does. Maybe Grimmjow is right."

"Besides," he went on, "Where one of those bastards falls, ten more appear. There are always more just waiting to hurt anyone they can."

"That makes Nel sad."

"Yeah…me too, kid."

He sighed softly.

"Thanks for not saying anything," Grimmjow said, not looking at her, "I think the less Shin thinks about what happened, the sooner it will stop being so painful. Pain fades over time…"

"Nel told Pretty Shin that Grimmjow went to watch hollows fight, just like Grimmjow said. But Nel isn't sure it was the right thing…"

"It was…trust me."

He turned his head to look back at the sleeping shinigami.

"No one should get away with shit like that…no one."

The two fell silent, both watching Byakuya sleep. Finally, Nel drifted back down the hallway and into her room. Grimmjow continued watching from the darkness outside the room until his eyelids drooped and he felt himself dropping off right there, where he stood. He started to turn towards the gathering area to curl up with a pillow on the floor, but he ached to feel someone next to him…no, he corrected himself, not just someone…but Shin. He knew he shouldn't…that it was asking for trouble…but he was tired of being alone when he didn't have to. And it wasn't going to last forever, or even a long time. Despite everything, he didn't want to miss a minute of lying next to _him_…of listening to the soft intake and exhale of his breath…touching the soft skin and hair…meeting those intelligent, dark eyes…kissing those warm, willing lips.

Finally, he made himself step into the room. To his surprise, Shin was no longer lying down, but resting his head on his arms in the windowsill, looking out at the moon. He looked angelic with the blue light of the crescent moon curling around him, making blue highlights in the raven black hair and giving his skin a soft bluish hue. Grimmjow wasn't even tempted to speak this time…to admonish the shinigami for not sleeping. He was, in fact hoping that the reason that Shin couldn't sleep was because he longed for the company of his hollow lover. He moved onto the bed behind the shinigami and slid his arms around from behind. The easy motion with which he settled into Grimmjow's arms told the hollow that he was welcome…longed for…perhaps even loved.

And he wondered how in the hell such a thing could happen, that someone so beautiful could long for anything else that could never hope to compare to his own loveliness. It didn't make sense, but it was all written in those wide, moon-drenched eyes. They had a deeply misted, half-aware look to them, as though the light from the moon had made him feral. He stared back at the blue-haired Espada with a lonely, half-wild look and that was all it took to move Grimmjow to tighten his arms around the shinigami, to bring him down ever so slowly onto the bed, to claim the sweet parted lips. Shin yielded easily, sinking into the hollow's deep, powerful kisses, his dark eyes flashing with the reflected light of moon and stars.

He meant to just kiss, knowing that Shin should really not engage in anything more strenuous, but the shinigami's eyes burned with lust and were glazed over and uncomprehending. His skin quivered tantalizingly under Grimmjow's fingertips and though he kept his voice lowered, Shin moaned and sighed hungrily, sinking deeply into each kiss, thrusting up into Grimmjow's hips and tightening his hands on the hollow's strong shoulders until Grimmjow felt a soft sting on his skin where the pearly nails dug in.

"I wasn't going to let this happen again," he said, surprising himself by saying it aloud, "It's probably pretty stupid, considering that you're going to go back to them. Besides…I know you take this kind of thing pretty seriously. But I didn't have a clue that _I_ did…not before you showed up. You're too damned beautiful for someone like me to resist. Hollows aren't the best models of self control in the first place, and I've already done all of the resisting I can. I know it's going to hurt like hell when you go, but I'm beyond caring. I've spent too damned much time caring about what could happen. I want to feel…"

He felt a tension in the shinigami's body as he coaxed him onto his stomach. He laid along the long, straight back, fingers and nose sinking into the thick, black hair. He might have heard a soft, shuddering sigh, but he wasn't sure if it was that or a breeze through the window. He leaned down, bringing his lips to the shell of a pale ear and capturing it…teasing it lightly.

"I know you would rather that we made love looking into each other's eyes…and if we had any chance of something that would last, I would do that…but this is safer."

Shin didn't answer, but offered no resistance as Grimmjow began to lick and suck at the soft, white skin of his throat, as he crawled down the slender back, his hands sliding down the soft sides…as he kissed his way down the perfect curve of Shin's spine and slid in between the shinigami's parted thighs. He felt a stab of guilt at the quiver that went through Shin's body as he was taken from behind…and it was then that he realized, with a hard shiver, why that would be. He knew he should have stopped, but was wrapped too tightly around his lover's body to resist. He entered Shin gently, but felt the soft catching of breath and the sudden tension that gripped the body beneath his. He held himself still for a moment, feeling the fast rise and fall of breath and the slight shaking in the shinigami's body.

"I'll stop if you want me to," he whispered against the back of the warm shoulder, "Do you want me to stop?"

He answered with a slight shake of his head, then relaxed beneath Grimmjow. The hollow moved slowly in and out of his lover, kissing the soft skin of his shoulder, throat and fingertips. He wasn't sure what words found their way onto his lips, but they caused a warm reaction in Shin's body, making it move up and press into his. The shinigami moaned hungrily as a hand wrapped around his length and slid up and down in time with their movements. Grimmjow breathed in the sakura scent of his hair and thrust in harder, lacing their fingers together. Shin's body stiffened beneath him, then shuddered softly and tightened around Grimmjow. He pushed in deeply and flattened himself along Shin's back, kissing the glowing skin and whispering his name as soft pulses of hot seed filled and sated the shinigami. They disentangled their bodies and laid quietly for some time after, exchanging deep, slow kisses.

"Grimmjow," Shin said softly, between kisses, "Arigato…for making them pay."

"You heard?" the Espada asked in a low voice.

Byakuya nodded.

"Well," said Grimmjow, "They deserved it, right? I mean, someone has to make sure there's some justice around here…"

"I'm glad you see that now, my lover."

"I thought I was your master," Grimmjow said, almost smiling.

"That too," Shin whispered back.


	6. The Investigation

**Chapter 6: The Investigation**

Urahara Kisuke walked down the row of cryogenic suspension tubes, carefully studying the control panels and verifying that all were still alive. They were, but even reduced to the barest minimum of what could still be called life, they were slowly dying. The cold temperature, while slowing the poison to a crawl, still could not stop it…and he didn't want to resort to the more drastic, full suspended animation, until all avenues had been explored. He shivered, thinking how much rested on the shoulders of one lone poisoned taichou.

And that taichou was distracted by a second mission of equal or maybe greater importance. As important as these dying people were, if Byakuya failed in his mission, the three worlds would remain out of balance and would begin to deteriorate. In the vacuum of Aizen Sousuke's leadership, the hollows needed someone to step forward, to restore order and bring a halt to the disorganized and unpredictable actions of the completely leaderless hollows.

But how did one follow Aizen Sousuke?

He wasn't sure he held with Soutaichou's decision to gather the information they had on surviving Espada and having the taichous decide on one to 'draft,' as it were. And tasking Byakuya, who was already entrenched in a battle to save his sister and fukutaichou's lives, with something like that was, Kisuke felt, unnecessarily cruel. Others might still miss the somber noble's attachment to Rukia, but Kisuke had seen the signs, not the least of which was the recklessness with which he had dashed to Las Noches as soon as the gate was made safe for the taichous to pass. Yes, Byakuya was surprisingly vulnerable emotionally, but was very good at hiding it…which nearly drove Kisuke insane in this situation…especially after the hell butterfly that made it clear that he was doing a bit more than 'training' the hollow for leadership.

But there wasn't anything anyone could do until the poison was eliminated and a cure found. No one was allowed to enter Hueco Mundo until then. Kisuke looked back at the bodies sleeping within the cryogenic tubes and shook his head.

"He'd better hurry," the shopkeeper said, stepping closer to the one that held Ichigo.

He studied the substitute shinigami's motionless form and sighed softly, resting his hand on the tube's translucent surface.

"Hang in there…he won't fail."

He looked across to where Rukia and Renji lay asleep as well.

"He's got too much hanging on this…"

XXXXXXXXXX

Byakuya woke before the others, but remained entrenched in Grimmjow's tight embrace, with his head rested on a muscular shoulder. He gazed out at the moon and stars and wondered that anything could have made him long for the end of night and the return of sunshine. Grimmjow, he thought, had been right in thinking that he would begin to suffer in absence of the natural light of Soul Society and the living world. His body felt sluggish and achy…and not simply because of his recent injury. He wondered for a moment if the feeling could mean that the poison was starting to affect him. He forced himself to stop thinking about that. It wouldn't do to let his mind enter that trap. There was nothing he could do about the poison. At least, he thought, being in Hueco Mundo seemed to slow its advance.

The thought of that made him wonder…

_It is odd that whatever this poison is…that it affects the shinigamis but not the hollows…_

He wondered darkly if there was a chance that they were mistaken about that. He thought about Aizen, Gin and Tousen leaving Hueco Mundo together and locking the rescuers in with the hollows. Aizen had taken the ones he thought he needed with him. Everyone else was left behind in a place the traitors never planned to return to.

Byakuya felt a chill go through him and sat up, waking Grimmjow abruptly.

"What the…?"

He froze, staring at Byakuya's terrified expression.

"What is it?" the Espada asked, sitting up and slipping an arm around him, "Did you have another nightmare. Hell, I would if I were you. This place is full of them."

"Grimmjow," Byakuya said in a shaken voice, "I need Nel."

"Okay…" said Grimmjow, looking spooked.

He disappeared into the hallway and returned a few moments later with a sleepy-faced Nel. She approached Byakuya wide-eyed.

"What's wrong, Pretty Shin?" she asked, "Are you sick?"

"No," Byakuya answered, meeting her eyes worriedly, "I need you to do a scan."

"Okay," she said, jumping up on the bed.

"N-no…not on me. On Grimmjow."

"What?" the Espada said, his eyes widening.

"Lie down," said Byakuya, "It may be nothing…"

"But you sensed something?"

"I…something occurred to me that hadn't before."

Grimmjow laid down on the bed with Nel next him on one side and Byakuya on the other. Nel bent her head and focused, letting her small hands pass over Grimmjow's body. After a few moments, her eyes went wide and fearful and tears rose in her eyes.

"Nel found the poison that is in Pretty Shin and the others!" she said, her voice breaking.

"What? It spread?" Grimmjow asked, stunned.

Byakuya placed a hand over his mouth and shook his head.

"No…then what? What the fuck is…?"

He stopped and caught his breath in amazement. He looked at Nel and patted her gently on the shoulder.

"It'll be all right. Nel…check yourself for poison."

"She wouldn't have sensed it in her own body?" Byakuya asked softly.

Grimmjow shrugged.

"She had trouble seeing it until she knew to look for it."

Pesche and Dondochakka appeared in the doorway, looking worried.

"We heard yelling," Pesche said, his voice panicked, "What happened."

Nel looked up at him and burst into tears.

"Nel and everyone is poisoned!" she sobbed.

She jumped off the bed and ran to Pesche, placing her hands on him, then switching to Dondochakka. Her sobs grew louder.

"E-e-everyone is p-poisoned! What can Nel do? Nel can't cure this poison! What do we do?"

Dondochakka and Pesche hugged Nel and their loud sobs joined hers.

Grimmjow ignored them and turned his eyes to meet Byakuya's.

"You think…_they_ did this? To…all of us?" he asked in a low, deep growl, "They doomed our entire world to destruction? All of us…to death?"

Byakuya could see his hands clenching so tightly they shook.

"They knew just how to do it too," the Espada went on, his voice filled with hatred, "They made it so the ones who came for Orihime would die first, figuring that the hollows here wouldn't worry about a bunch of humans and shinigamis. And the poison is invisible unless you know to look for it. How long would it have taken if you hadn't figured it out?"

Byakuya's face had gone a ghostly white as realization spread inside him. Aizen had proven his malevolence when he slaughtered the councilors of Central 46…and now, apparently was attempting to add genocide to the list.

"Kami," the noble whispered, "Grimmjow…if we do not stop this…the balance of worlds will not just be affected…it will be toppled! If the balance of souls is not kept and this world collapses…the others will follow. It won't take a poison…just that destabilization…"

"Then it isn't just the hollows who have to worry, right?" Grimmjow asked, meeting Byakuya's eyes, "It's everyone's business."

"I have to contact Soutaichou…have him drop the barrier so that we can bring more searchers. We _have_ to move quickly now!"

"And you think your Soutaichou will send more shinigamis to get poisoned."

"We are _all_ dead anyway if we do not find the source and the cure!"

"Then send your message," the hollow said more calmly, "and then we will go to the fortress and get into Gin's lab."

XXXXXXXXXX

"Soutaichou, a message for you!"

The captain commander captured the hell butterfly and gazed at it quietly as it yielded its message.

_Soutaichou, We have made the discovery that it isn't just the shinigamis and humans who are affected by this poison. Hollows, too, are infected, but will progress more slowly than we are. We are attempting to search Las Noches for information regarding the poison. But one thing is clear…if the poison is allowed to claim all of the population of Hueco Mundo, then the balance of souls will be disrupted and when Hueco Mundo collapses, we are likely to be engulfed in that destruction. I understand I am obligated to complete my missions as assigned, however, given that time is a factor in what happens, I feel it is not out of line to risk the infection of others by sending them here to assist in the search mission. As the hollows here realize what is happening to them, they will be likely to panic. This will put me in greater danger as I continue and may put both of my missions in jeopardy._

The captain commander sighed and rested his chin on the palm of one hand, thinking. His old brow furrowed deeply. He tapped the fingers of his other hand on his desk absently as he considered his options, then summoned his fukutaichou.

"Gather the four taichous who remain on active duty and the highest ranks of each of the other squads. Have them come to the meeting chamber immediately."

"Hai, Soutaichou," the man said, bowing, then flash stepping away.

The captain commander rested his chin on his folded hands and considered carefully the wording of Byakuya's message.

"_We_…" he repeated softly, "Hmmm…"

XXXXXXXXXX

Grimmjow scowled as Nel scrambled up onto his shoulders.

"Damn! What are you? Some kinda freaky monkey? Get off of me!"

"Don't yell at her," said Byakuya, stepping out of the bedroom to join them, "We'll move faster if you carry her.

Grimmjow forget his annoyance and a smile crept onto his face at the sight of Byakuya in an Arrancar uniform. He chuckled softly.

""What's so funny?" Byakuya asked shortly.

"Nothing," the Espada said, smirking, "You look good in white."

Byakuya frowned.

"Actually, I look dreadful in white. Black is much more my color."

"Or maybe nice dark red," commented Grimmjow, running his eyes over the shinigami's slender form.

Byakuya's cheeks flushed cutely and Grimmjow made a sound that was somewhere between a laugh and a low growl.

"Let's go," the Espada said, turning towards the door.

They started across the sand, in the direction of the fortress, noting as they went, the restlessness of the hollows they encountered. They came across several dead and examined them carefully.

"Looks like the low levels are the first to go."

"It suggests strategic thinking," Byakuya said, studying a fallen hollow, "They don't expect the hollows to care about the shinigamis and humans…or the higher level hollows to concern themselves with the lower levels. But it will slowly scale the hierarchy until the entire society collapses."

"Then it won't just be our world that fails," Grimmjow said, nodding, "The rest'll be sucked in too. I hate us hollows…even myself, but I really don't want wish them all dead…and I don't want the worlds to end."

He gazed hard at the sand his feet kicked up as he walked.

"I want know where they keep him…whatever hell he's in…it should be worse. I want to go there and tear him apart. I know the bastard would just regenerate, but then I'd keep tearing him to fucking shreds endlessly."

"Except that your life would end and he would still be there," Byakuya said softly, "I wish we could be rid of him…that somehow…we could destroy the hougyoku and he would die. He deserves it…and our worlds deserve to be free of him!"

Grimmjow glanced at him out of the corner of one ice blue eye.

"Watch it, shinigami, you're starting to sound like a hollow," he said affectionately.

Byakuya gave a small, sad smile and continued walking. They reached the back of the fortress and slipped inside, using Grimmjow's secret entrance, then they moved quietly along the abandoned hallways, past the infirmary and into the living areas. As they approached Gin's bedroom, Grimmjow placed a hand on Byakuya's arm, stopping him.

"Let me. I can break the trap and get us in."

"Just don't be loud about it," said Byakuya, shivering softly, "There might not be any hollows we can see, but I sense them all around."

"Don't worry, I can do this quietly."

He slipped into the room and left Byakuya and Nel watching out the doorway. Several minutes later, he returned.

"Okay to go in now," he told Byakuya, "I cleared everything dangerous."

Byakuya nodded and turned to go into the room, then stopped and swayed.

"Hey…you okay?" asked Grimmjow.

Byakuya nodded and caught himself on a small table beside the door. Nel stepped forward and scanned his body quickly.

"Pretty Shin's poison is starting to affect him," she said, "Nel might be able to help a little."

Byakuya sat down on the floor and Nel set her hands against the sides of his face, focusing her power. A soft glow illuminated the room as she worked. Finally, the light died and she stepped back.

"Does Pretty Shin feel better?" Nel asked.

Byakuya nodded.

"Arigato, Nel," he said, climbing to his feet.

"Hey, ah, should you be getting up so soon?" Grimmjow asked, "You still look kinda shaky."

"I'll be fine. We cannot delay. Every minute matters."

"Yeah," agreed the Espada, "but you want to be conscious and able to help us for as many of those minutes as possible, right?"

"Right," said Byakuya, "Really, though, I feel better, thanks to Nel. And I think we can go on now."

"We'll guard the door while you find what you need," Grimmjow told him, "Yell if you get into trouble."

Byakuya shook his head, smiling and moved on into the open doorway that led into Gin's lab. He was pleased to immediately find a working computer. He searched the contents as best he could, but suspected that the information he needed was in a protected file. He smiled wryly and quickly employed a mixture of his knowledge of Gin to guess at the password. Remembering his connection to a certain member of the tenth division, he punched in 'rangiku' and smiled again as the file opened.

"Not so imaginative with passwords as with other things, ne?" he said softly.

He read the contents of one file, then another and then a third. He lifted his head briefly at a sudden, muffled thumping sound, but returned to his work a moment later. As he came to the end of the searchable files, the screen suddenly blinked and Aizen's image appeared.

"Oh my," he said softly, "Do you really think that I would make it that easy for you? I know what you're searching for…and I even know who they would have sent and why…Byakuya. You want your sister and your fukutaichou to live, ne? Come and see me, then…if you can!"

The screen went blank, but Byakuya continued to stare.

"How in kami's name…?"

But Aizen had proven time and again, his ability to think ahead. Byakuya shook his head in frustration and returned to the bedroom. He was surprised to find the doorway unguarded. A small whimper made him turn. Nel peeked out from behind the bed.

"What happened," the noble asked quickly.

"There were some mean Arrancars! Grimmjow pushed Nel into the room and said to stay down and protect Pretty Shin! The bad ones were mad at Grimmjow because Grimmjow killed the others for Pretty Shin! Nel doesn't know where they went."

Byakuya's expression grew intense. He thought for a moment, then nodded.

"I will find Grimmjow. Nel, could you find Aizen's room and search it?" he asked, "Watch out for traps, and be sure to watch for any clues there might be hidden there."

Nel nodded, her eyes teary, but fierce.

"Nel will help Pretty Shin while Pretty Shin saves Grimmjow!"

Byakuya smiled and stepped back. He reached out to the side with his sword hand and focused, raising his reiatsu. Nel stared as the hilt of a sword formed in his hand and a flurry of pink petals came together and settled, forming the long, slender blade.

Nel smiled.

"Pretty Shin is strong…and will save Grimmjow!"

"Yes," promised Byakuya, "I will."

He slid the weapon into a sheath that had formed at his waist, then flash stepped down the hallway.


	7. Return of Affection

**Chapter 7: Return of Affection**

Byakuya moved forward cautiously, keeping himself concealed in shadows as much as possible as he listened for any hint of enemies and reached out to track Grimmjow with his senses. He was unsettled, but admittedly unsurprised when he realized that the Espada had been forcibly restrained and dragged into the prison levels.

Byakuya slowed as he reached the prison area. He heard loud voices and harsh, guttural laughter, the impact of fists striking a body and low grunts and growls of someone in pain. He moved closer, listening and drawing Senbonzakura.

"You thought you were badass, coming here and killing our brothers, but when we put our powers together against you, then you are no more powerful than a little kitten! No more powerful than that pretty little bitch you took from the prison levels and made into your slave."

"Yeah?" snarled Grimmjow, his chest heaving, "Well, that pretty little bitch slave of mine has more power in his left pinky than you sons of bitches will ever have! Don't you idiots fucking understand? We are _all_ poisoned! We are all going to die! Do you give a shit about living? About anything? Or are you really as fucking stupid as you look?"

The largest of Grimmjow's captors stepped closer to him.

"So is that it, little kitten? Sky's gonna fall?"

He slipped his fingers into the Espada's blue hair and tightened them until Grimmjow grunted in pain.

"Still playing your little 'end of the world game?' Woulda thought you'd give that up after we all gave your ass a ride. But if you want more, kitten, we can certainly give it another go."

He looked around at the other Arrancars gathered around them.

"What do you say, fellas? Should we fuck this little kitty into the ground? Or should we just kill him and be done with him?"

Jeers and taunts rose up around him and the Arrancar laughed. He slid a clawed hand down Grimmjow's long back, leaving small trails of blood on the already bruised flesh.

"Bad news, Fluffy," he whispered, nipping at the Espada's ear, "They want another go. And I think I will lead off…"

"Gomen nasai," said a low, icy voice from behind him, "but I hope that you will not act to deny 'Kitty's pretty little bitch slave' _his_ vote on the matter."

The Arrancar tormenting Grimmjow stopped and turned. His lips curled back into an evil snarl.

"Looky what we have here…" he growled, "It's the little cat's toy."

He motioned for the others to remain near Grimmjow and moved closer to Byakuya.

"You come back for more, sweetheart?" he purred softly, "I missed out on the fun when you were here before, but I hear your flesh tastes pretty damned sweet. It must if little Grimmjow's been licking at it all this time. You know, your 'master' here is a little bit sour on the tongue, but I think you will be much more enjoyable. Is that why you came back then? You like being fucked by hollows and you wanted more than our Kitty could deliver?"

He stepped closer and Byakuya lifted his sword, tip down and released it.

"Ban kai," he breathed as the Arrancar's claws slashed down at him, "Senkei Senbonzakura Kageyoshi. The hollow froze as a thousand pink swords appeared and slowly fell into neat rows, forming a large fighting chamber inside. The hollows encircling Grimmjow backed away, searching for some where to run and the Arrancar in front of Byakuya stood, rooted to the ground and staring.

"I know you," it hissed, "It was _you_! You and that other taichou killed Yammy!"

"_My name_," Byakuya said in a deceptively soft voice, "is Kuchiki Byakuya. I lead the sixth division of the Gotei 13…and you were all among the ones who killed the shinigamis who were under my command. It is as Grimmjow told you. This world, and all within it are doomed. You have all been poisoned by the one you followed. Grimmjow cared enough about that to try to warn you…and you repaid him with threats and torment."

He fixed his eyes on the leader of the group.

"_You_ are mine," he breathed, "You hurt him…and now I'm going to _kill_ you. But be proud. Few are allowed to see this form…and the ones who see it, nearly always die shortly after. I will show you why."

Five swords loosed themselves from the fighting chamber walls and shot downward. Before the stunned Arrancar could move, one by one, the swords impaled him from all directions. The hollow gave a startled gasp, then a long, ear shattering scream as blood exploded around it. Screams of terror rose up from the rest of the horde and they broke in all directions, attacking the walls in a futile attempt to escape. Byakuya stepped forward, past the bloody body of the dead Arrancar and moved quickly to Grimmjow's side. He released the Espada and shattered the seal holding back his powers. Grimmjow didn't look at him, but sat quietly as Byakuya healed the worst of his wounds, while carefully watching the panicked hollows who were still trying to flee.

"Grimmjow," he said quietly, "I apologize for not identifying myself before. I was ashamed that I had failed in my attempt to infiltrate Las Noches…and…I was concerned that if you knew I was a taichou…that you would hate me for it."

"Well," said Grimmjow, still not meeting his eyes, "you're just full of surprises, aren't you?"

A heavy silence settled between them as the panicked hollows continued to strain against the walls of the chamber. Finally, Byakuya gathered himself and spoke again.

"These hollows hurt you," he said softly, "I will kill them, if you wish…or you may kill them."

The Espada remained silent, but rose and stepped towards the other hollows. Screams rose into thin howls of terror as Grimmjow swept toward them and began tearing them apart. Byakuya stood, quietly observing as each offender was swiftly dispatched and left in a pool of blood on the floor of the chamber. As the last one fell, Byakuya sealed Senbonzakura and returned the zanpakutou to the sheath at his waist. Grimmjow slowly returned to him, panting with exertion and bathed in blood. They stared at each other in the now empty room.

"So…" said Grimmjow, "They sent a taichou. They chose you because you are strong…and because they knew you were desperate to save your sister. But that wasn't your only mission, was is, shinigami? There was more, wasn't there?"

Byakuya gazed at him silently.

"What was it then? Why did you come? Were you here to kill the remaining Espada? To make sure we would never be strong enough to cause trouble for you? What _is_ your true mission, _shinigami_?" Grimmjow snarled.

"One of my missions is to find the source of the poison and to fashion a cure for the ones who are affected. My second mission was not to kill you…or to push you down and to make you weak. Grimmjow, when I spoke to you about the balance of our worlds, I wasn't just referring to the need to stop the poison. This world has fallen into chaos…"

"And why the fuck would your soutaichou give a shit about what we are here doing to each other?"

"Don't you understand?" Byakuya asked, reaching out and touching his face, "Your world is falling apart…and as it deteriorates, even without the poison, it will fall out of balance…and it will not simply be this world in trouble. Its sister worlds will crumble as well. I know I have disappointed you. I violated your personal code of honor by being deceptive about my identity and mission. But I will tell you in honesty that my mission to Hueco Mundo was not about killing you. Soutaichou and the other taichous gathered and considered the remaining Espada, looking for the one most likely to be able to hold this world together."

"Nel is stronger than me. They should have picked her."

"She was considered, but in the end, her unwillingness to kill was judged to be too detrimental. So I was ordered to come to Hueco Mundo…and as I searched for the poison to cure my sister and the others, I was also ordered to find you and to guide you to the throne."

Grimmjow laughed sarcastically and shook his head.

"I told you, shinigami, I am no leader. I don't fucking care if every hollow in this world dies…or even if I die. Don't you get it? I don't fucking care!"

"You cared enough to defend an enemy who was treated in a way that was without honor," Byakuya said softly, "You cared enough to join me in my search for the cure to the poison when there was nothing in it for you."

"You're wrong," Grimmjow snapped, "I liked screwing you. You are smart and sexy. That's why I helped you."

"You hunted down the hollows that attacked me…that raped me."

"They touched something of mine. I had to punish them. It wasn't about you."

"Grimmjow," Byakuya said reprovingly, "I wasn't yours when they did those things to me. I was an enemy."

"You're still an enemy," said Grimmjow angrily, "and pretty or not, you're also a liar. So…I release you…"

The air around Byakuya flared softly and his body glowed with blue light that shimmered and slowly faded.

"You're free of any obligation to me now. And I suggest that you get about finding that cure you are looking for. This world is self-destructing and will get more and more dangerous. You will be alone and surrounded by enemies."

"Grimmjow…"

"Get out of here…shinigami…before the beast comes this way to see what all of the noise was about."

He disappeared then, leaving Byakuya staring at the place he had been.

XXXXXXXXXX

Grimmjow sensed the direction in which Nel had gone and followed her into the living areas. He stalked down the long hallways, anger burning inside as he tried not to think about the lovely shinigami he had thought he was falling in love with. But Kuchiki freaking Byakuya was a lie from beginning to end. He had come to Hueco Mundo to make him a king.

"What a joke!" he hissed, "What a stupid, fucking joke!"

His anger flared, making the air a round him turn red and raised the reiatsu around him until the fortress rumbled. He caught his breath, remembering the presence of The Beast, and sped in Nel's direction. He reached the room she was in and entered, then slid to a stop, remembering.

"Aizen's room," he whispered darkly, "Murderous…lying bastard! Byakuya may have lied…but he does care about what happens to the balance between worlds. You, on the other hand, don't give a shit what happens, because you are immortal…and with the hougyoku in you, you can just create whatever new worlds you want…"

Grimmjow sighed heavily, knowing with certainty that he would never want to be a part of those worlds anyway. He shook off the thought and searched the room, then found Nel digging through a stack of files.

"What're you looking for?" he asked, gazing down at her.

"Oh!" said Nel, in a startled voice, "Grimmjow scared Nel! Nel was looking for information about the poison. Pretty Shin said to look while he went to find you. Did Pretty Shin save you?"

"Yeah," said Grimmjow, "he did. But…he, ah, had to leave. And we do too. Nel, we have to get away from here. I'll find some gigais we can wear and we can go to the living world for a while. It will be safer there…and there is a shinigami there who might be able to help us find a cure to the poison. He is a friend on Kurosaki Ichigo's. If he doesn't kill us on sight, maybe he'll help us."

Nel stared at Grimmjow in surprise.

"Grimmjow…" she said, wide-eyed, "What is Grimmjow talking about? We have to help Pretty Shin look for the cure! We have to find the information here! We can't leave…and we can't go to the living world or the poison will just work faster!"

She looked at him more closely.

"What's wrong with Grimmjow? Did the bad hollows hurt Grimmjow?"

"I'm okay Nel…I just…look, I want to go back to your place for a while…just for a while. I need to think."

"B-but what about Pretty Shin?" Nel asked worriedly, "He is strong, but the poison is hurting him. Nel sensed that it will get worse faster now that Pretty Shin is showing signs of being sick."

"We'll…we'll figure something out."

"No!" Nel sobbed, "Nel won't leave Pretty Shin behind! Pretty Shin shouldn't be left alone! He'll get sicker too fast without Nel! He'll die before we can find a cure!"

Grimmjow loosed an impatient breath.

"Look, Nel, Shin doesn't belong with us. He never did. He lied to all of us. He is really a taichou. He was here to make me become king. But he lied to us, Nel. So I released him. He isn't my servant anymore…not that he ever fucking was. He probably could have removed the markers himself at any time. And he never really cared about us in the first place. The only one he really cares about saving is his sister, anyway!"

"That's not true!" yelled Nel, her tears becoming angry and her power flaring, "Nel knew Pretty Shin was a taichou! Nel saw him with the other taichou who killed Yammy!"

"What?" gasped Grimmjow, "You mean…you knew? You knew he was lying to me and you didn't tell me?"

"Pretty Shin is in love with Grimmjow! He wanted to save all of us! He wanted to tell Grimmjow that, but he was worried that if Grimmjow knew, then he would be angry…and Pretty Shin didn't want Grimmjow to leave him! Pretty Shin loves Grimmjow…and he wants to save all of us. But Pretty Shin will die if Nel and Grimmjow don't help! Grimmjow has to stop being angry and help!"

Grimmjow froze, staring helplessly at Nel, his mind spinning. Nel stared back, her tiny hands clenched and tears running down her face.

"What is Grimmjow going to do? Is Grimmjow going to help or is he going to let us all die?"

XXXXXXXXXX

Byakuya watched as Grimmjow disappeared and felt coldness inside as he found himself abandoned inside the old fortress. He sighed resignedly and slipped out of the cellblock, sensing the reiatsu around him and heading away from the strongest reiatsu. He was in a race with death…death that could reach him through the poison or through a meeting with any of the stronger denizens of Las Noches.

He found himself in a ruined area of the fortress, where fights had erupted and furnishings and walls had been heavily damaged and, in some sections, obliterated. He felt an odd, creeping feeling of wariness as he noticed long, silvery strands strung along the broken walls and over the tumbled debris on the floor. He sensed that a very large, dangerous creature had left these behind and he knew better than to even touch one of the strands. He turned back and started to walk away, but was suddenly stopped by a thick, sticky strand that wrapped around his waist and his sword and lifted him off the ground. Byakuya gasped sharply and found himself staring down into the spiderlike face of one he knew could be no other than The Beast. It was large and black as pitch, with a huge, segmented body covered with fine black hairs. The long arachnid legs bore dangerous looking spikes.

Byakuya loosed a blast of kido into the black face of the creature and felt himself drop to the floor. Another sticky strand wrapped around his legs. He tried to use a kido spell to burn it away, but it had no effect. He twisted to the side as a bladed leg slapped down where he had been. He twisted again as another leg came down, but was unable to dodge a third. His body went numb and he found that he was no longer able to move. He stared in stunned silence as the creature lifted him and held him in a thin shaft of light to see him better.

_Don't worry,_ said a whisper in his mind, _I don't plan on eating you yet, shinigami. You are quite a satisfying catch, but I will save you until I am hungrier. I have eaten recently._

He was lifted and carefully concealed in and bound to the broken rafters above them. Then the spiderlike creature slipped into the shadows and disappeared.

Byakuya knew he still had his powers, but nothing he tried seemed able to loose him from the sticky strands. In desperation, he placed his hand on Senbonzakura and forced the spirit out of the sword. The masked warrior manifested on the ground beneath him.

"Master," the spirit said quietly, "I cannot free you."

"I know that," Byakuya said, "I want you to find Nel."

"What about Grimmjow?"

"He won't come for me. He said that I'm on my own. Go to Nel and tell her what happened. Hurry…I don't know how often that thing eats!"

"Hai, Master," Senbonzakura said.

Byakuya watched the spirit disappear, then turned his eyes in the direction that The Beast had gone. He still struggled within his bonds, but had no real expectation of being able to free himself. He froze, hearing a shuffling sound, and worried that The Beast might be returning. But a moment later, he realized that he was not alone in the rafters. A youthful, surprisingly handsome young hollow looked back at him from several feet away.

"So you're trapped too," the hollow said softly, "We're both dead, you know."

"Perhaps," Byakuya replied, studying the hollow carefully, "but perhaps we might yet escape that fate. Who are you? You look familiar to me…"

The youth smiled.

"I remember you, Kuchiki taichou. My master spoke of you a lot. He said you were the strongest taichou…the one most likely to prove troublesome…well you and that brute who came here with you to kill Yammy."

"I ask again," said Byakuya, "Who are you?"

The youth blinked.

"I am no one of consequence now…but while he was here…I was his slave…and his lover. You probably know me because I was near him constantly…always in the background so nobody ever noticed me…but everyone saw my face. He made sure of it."

"Yet he left you behind?" Byakuya queried.

"Yes," the hollow said bitterly, "He said he was done with me and he left me alone here while he went off to become king. He said I was useless and he didn't need a hollow about, fouling things. I remained in the fortress and stayed out of sight. I knew The Beast was here and I stayed out of its way. I didn't want to leave because I didn't know how to cope outside of here. I've lived here all of my life."

"If you lived here and you were near Aizen, then perhaps he told you something about the poison…the one he used to poison the shinigamis who came here to save Inoue Orihime."

"And what does it matter if he did?" the youth said in a low voice, "We are dead men, Kuchiki taichou. That thing is going to eat us. So you won't live long enough to worry yourself about any poison."

"The poison affects more than just those. It affects all of the hollows. It is in you as well! You must tell me anything you know about the poison!"

XXXXXXXXXX

Grimmjow held a silently sobbing Nel on his shoulders and slinked through the hallways, working his way to the exit. There was almost no sound around them except for the soft scuffing of Grimmjow's feet and Nel's occasional soft sniffs.

"It wouldn't have worked out anyway, kid," he whispered as he walked, "He's a shinigami and a taichou. He should never have agreed to be my servant. It was just a way to keep close to me so that he could nudge me into doing what he wanted."

"Nel doesn't believe that!" she whispered back, wiping her eyes with the back of her hand and blowing her nose into his shoulder, "Nel knows that Pretty Shin didn't say everything to Grimmjow, but Pretty Shin _did_ love Grimmjow and he would have wanted to find a way to stay with him."

"Then it's better that I made him leave. Don't you understand? We couldn't be together anyway. It doesn't matter that we love each other! We belong to different worlds!"

"G-grimmjow…loves Pretty Shin too?"

"It doesn't matter. Now shut up and let's go home. I just need to figure out what to do next."

Nel blew her nose into his shoulder again and fell silent. They continued out of the fortress and turned towards Nel's home. He glanced up at her and noticed that she was looking at something in her hand.

"What is that?" he asked.

Nel sniffed again.

"Nel found a picture of her friend in Aizen Sosusuke's room…and wanted to keep it. Nel hasn't seen him since Aizen Sousuke left and thinks he might have died."

Grimmjow looked at the small framed picture.

"Oh, _him_," he said, with an edge of sympathy in his voice, "I never heard what happened to him. Aizen dumped him just before he left. I guess he preferred the more angelic people in the spirit dimension to even the most beautiful hollow in existence. Huh…poor bastard. The Beast probably caught and ate him first thing. He was too pretty to last for long."

Nel sighed and held the picture to her chest, over her heart.

"Nel misses him. Nel wonders what happened to him."

"Yeah, well…if he isn't dead already, then he will be soon. Everyone here is going to die, pretty or not."

"No!" Nel said, her hand tightening around the small picture frame until the hand trembled, "Nel won't let that happen. Nel isn't giving up! Grimmjow can't make Nel give up."

She twisted and jumped down off of his shoulders, raising the power around her.

"What the fuck are you doing?" Grimmjow yelled, "You know better than that! You'll be sensed! They'll come after you! Stop!"

"Nel doesn't care anymore! Nel can't just watch everyone die!"

Her power exploded around them, sending sand flying in all directions. As it cleared, Grimmjow found himself staring at her older, female form. He shook his head.

"Don't do this, Nel. You're only going to get yourself killed!"

"No," Nel said more softly, "I am going to save the people I care about. You can come with me or not. But I have to go. I won't let Byakuya face this alone. I understand his reasons for not telling us everything and I trust him. You do what you want. I will do what I have to…goodbye…Grimmjow."

"Nel…"

She turned away.

"Goodbye…Grimmjow."

Both stared as a tall, masked warrior emerged suddenly from the fortress and slid to a stop in front of them.

"I am Senbonzakura," the spirit said tersely, "I bring a message from my master, Kuchiki Byakuya. He has been captured by The Beast and it is going to eat him soon. He asked for Nel to come and give him her assistance."


	8. The Hollow Prince

**Chapter 8: The Hollow Prince**

"_If you lived here and you were near Aizen, then perhaps he told you something about the poison…the one he used to poison the shinigamis who came here to save Inoue Orihime."_

"_And what does it matter if he did?" the youth said in a low voice, "We are dead men, Kuchiki taichou. That thing is going to eat us. So you won't live long enough to worry yourself about any poison."_

"The poison affects more than just those. It affects all of the hollows. It is in you as well! You must tell me anything you know about the poison!"

The hollow shook his head softly.

"Don't you understand anything?" he asked, his voice somber, "Aizen Sousuke used me as his personal plaything for years and then abandoned me with everyone else. What makes you think that he would have told me anything?"

"Perhaps while he didn't directly tell you anything, he might have revealed something of value…something that could lead us to the cure we need."

The hollow was quiet for several minutes. Byakuya shifted and caught sight of floating strands of ash and midnight colored hair. A slim shaft of light revealed light, honey colored eyes, an angular face with regal cheekbones and full, sensuous lips. Had he not been a hollow, Byakuya would have sworn he was born of noble stock.

I find it doubtful that I could help you," he said, blinking slowly, but I certainly wouldn't be above telling you what I can. I don't know how useful any of it would be."

"It seems that we have some time before our fate is decided. I have sent for assistance but I do not know if help will come in time," Byakuya said, contemplating the other's calm expression.

"Very well. I will tell you about myself and who knows…maybe something in the telling will trigger a useful memory."

Byakuya nodded and the hollow took a short breath and began his story.

"My name is Kuroibara Kirei. Many years ago, the Kuroibara clan ruled Hueco Mundo. Before the betrayal and the rise of Barragan Luisenbarn, my family was the royal family of Hueco Mundo. Our ancestral home was a palace that was constructed here and whose ancient foundation still lies beneath this fortress. When Barragan Luisenbarn betrayed and murdered my ancestor, the palace was razed and Las Noches was built upon the foundation. Having fallen from power, the fragmented pieces of my family were driven into the desert…but even as the ones of old left this place, an old prophet called Hoshimanako foresaw that Barragan and an heir of the house Kuroibara would fall under the spell of a poisonous snake and that one would die and the other emerge and would spread a balm like spinning sand across the world of the hollows…and so would end the years of darkness that began so long ago. Barragan is dead and the snake is gone."

"And you are here within the palace," Byakuya added, his eyes curious, "Kirei…are you possessed of any special powers?"

"Not as of yet," the youth admitted, "when my family was driven into the desert, our powers were hidden, so as to allow us anonymity. I have powers within, but only the hand of fate can unlock them."

"Did Aizen Sousuke know of your family?"

"I told him my story when I met him…and he showed interest at first…but as time passed and my powers did not emerge, he lost interest. He was only interested in that which would propel him forward. When he realized that my powers would not emerge for the asking, he seemed content to keep me as his lover and his personal healer, as I do have significant healing powers."

"I wonder if your healing powers might have an effect on the poison," Byakuya suggested.

"I am not certain," admitted Kirei, "I have resistance to most poisons, so the one he used would have to be unnaturally strong to overcome me."

"Hmmm…," said Byakuya, his mind working, "Perhaps if we manage to escape our current predicament, you could allow me to send samples of your blood and reiatsu to a friend of mine for analysis. It's a long shot, admittedly, but perhaps it could help."

Kirei smiled and nodded.

"Very well, then. I will allow it…if we are fortunate enough to escape. And I will do one thing more. Aizen Sousuke had a secret room within the fortress. If we should escape The Beast, I will help you gain entrance to that room. I think that if he had something he did not wish anyone to find, he would have hidden it there."

"Although he might have destroyed those hidden things before leaving."

"Unless he meant to return for them after securing his throne," suggested the youth.

Byakuya nodded.

"That sounds like a promising lead."

Kirei smiled.

"Now if we could only manage to free ourselves. I have one hand free, but I lost my sword when I was captured."

"And ironically enough, I have a sword, but not a hand to draw it," muttered Byakuya.

The noble gazed curiously at the other as his smile widened.

"You say you have your sword?" he asked.

"Hai…on my left hip. But there is webbing on the hilt," he warned the hollow.

"I am not concerned about being able to _let go_ of your weapon, so much as being able to hold onto it if we are attacked."

"But how will you reach it?" asked Byakuya, frowning.

"Watch…"

The noble watched curiously as the hollow's long ponytail lifted itself and carefully snaked its way around the webbing that surrounded them. It slid through the air like a giant, ebony serpent and curled cautiously around the sheath, avoiding the sticky webbing. Byakuya felt a tugging and then the sheath freed itself from him and was pulled back across the space between them and lowered carefully into the hollow's extended hand. Kirei drew the weapon and held it ready.

"When you attempt to cut the strands, you must be certain to cut with the edge dead on and not angle the blade. If the webbing touches too much surface, it will not be cut, and the weapon will instead be snared. It takes a skillful hand. Hopefully, I will do better this time."

"Ah," said Byakuya, "so that is how you came to be without your sword?"

Kirei smiled ruefully.

"Sadly, yes," he admitted, "but do not worry. That time, I was distracted by battle conditions. This time, I am not concerned with fighting, and so can mind my hand a bit better."

He fell silent and turned to the arduous task of freeing himself from the webbing. Several swift, sure cuts freed his other hand and enabled him to work more deftly at the remaining strands. After a time, the strands around him began to loosen and his body dropped slightly downward. He freed himself of all but a few strands, then reached out with the blade and slashed at the strands that bound Byakuya. It took several tries, but eventually, the strands holding the noble severed and he dropped lightly to the ground. Kirei sheathed the sword, then worked his hand slowly free of the webbing on the hilt. He dropped the weapon into Byakuya's hands and the noble drew it and held it ready, watching the corner that The Beast had disappeared into. He saw light movement of a long, thin leg, but the creature remained otherwise concealed in the darkness.

Byakuya placed himself beneath the hollow, using one shoulder to give him purchase as he freed himself from the last few strands and then dropped down in front of the noble.

"Arigato," said Byakuya gratefully, "I would not have been able to free myself without your assistance."

"Nor would I have been freed without yours," the hollow said, nodding, "but now we had best leave quickly, before The Beast discovers we have freed ourselves. Come, I will take you to Aizen Sousuke's secret room."

As they turned to leave, two more hollows burst into view and slid to a stop in front of them.

"Grimmjow…Nel!" Byakuya exclaimed softly, "Senbonzakura reached you?"

"Hai," said Nel, smiling, "but we thought you were in trouble."

The female hollow's eyes lit brightly at the sight of the hollow who stood behind Byakuya.

"Kirei!" she gasped, throwing herself into his arms, "Kirei! I thought you had died! I thought maybe Aizen had killed you!"

"Okay, okay, enough with the sappy reunions," growled Grimmjow, his eyes meeting Byakuya's for a moment, "Let's get the hell out of here before that thing wakes up."

"Good idea," said Kirei.

The group turned to pass into the hallway with Kirei leading, then Nel and Byakuya following, and Grimmjow watching behind them. They had traveled down several hallways when Kirei motioned for them to stop and sank back against the wall. The others concealed themselves as well, as a group of disheveled Arrancars passed the end of the hallway they were in. They waited several minutes in the shadows, then continued on toward the living areas. As they walked, they could still hear the occasional sounds of voices and footsteps in the passageways as well as distant growls and screams. Kirei continued to lead them and as he walked ahead of them, the strands of his long black ponytail floated in the air, moving in all directions around him, as though tasting the air for signs of danger. As things calmed, Nel and Kirei began to talk softly and Byakuya fell back alongside Grimmjow.

"Grimmjow," he said quietly, "arigato."

"For what?" asked the Espada, "I didn't do anything."

"You came for me. You knew I was in trouble and…"

"I did it for Nel. She was beside herself and was going to run in here alone. Look at her. You know she was at her wits end over you because she took that form."

"I also notice that she has not reverted to child form since seeing Kirei," commented the noble.

"Yeah…" acknowledged Grimmjow, "They were close…before that bastard made Kirei his plaything."

"They are very much at ease with each other," said Byakuya nodding, "I wonder…"

He summoned a hell butterfly and whispered a message to it, then sent it winging away.

"What was that about?" Grimmjow asked.

"Well," said the noble, "you said that you didn't wish to be king. As that is true, I am still tasked with finding someone to assist in gaining the throne."

"But Kirei possesses only healing powers…" objected Grimmjow.

"For the moment," admitted Byakuya, "but he told me of a prophecy."

"That old fairy tale about the coming of the one who will…"

"…spread a balm like spinning sand across the world of the hollows," Byakuya finished, "Grimmjow…think about how the poison was spread. Aizen used the sandstorms to spread the poison."

"Maybe he was the one and the balm was the poison that would wipe out this useless race," muttered Grimmjow.

"No," Byakuya said firmly, "I don't believe that. I think it may be a reference telling us to use the same method of dispersal to spread the cure."

"If there is a cure," said Grimmjow, frowning, "but we don't even know for certain that there is."

"There is," Byakuya said with certainty, "and Kirei is the one that will lead us to it."

"You sound pretty sure of yourself, shinigami," Grimmjow commented, stepping away from him.

Byakuya sighed softly and shook his head, watching as the Espada opened up the distance between them. The four continued walking until Kirei led them into a large room at the end of one of the hallways. Grimmjow growled and Nel shivered softly as they entered.

"It's like he only just left," muttered Grimmjow.

Byakuya felt an odd pitch in the core of his abdomen as he entered the neatly kept bedroom. He too, could feel Aizen's presence and caught a touch of his residual reiatsu on the air. He sighed uncomfortably and moved closer to Kirei. The hollow searched the bedroom wall carefully and touched a hidden release that opened the wall. He paused, contemplating the inner wall, then turned to Byakuya.

"I think your kido is stronger than our ceros. You need to use your full power to shatter the door. It has a code, but if it is entered incorrectly it locks down…and it appears that before he left, he purposely jammed it. The good news for us is that it implies that what we want may be inside…"

"Ah…because if he did intend to return for whatever he left here, he would have been certain to keep some of the cure or at least a formula for it where he could use it, himself."

Kirei turned to the others.

"Stand back…and as soon as the way is opened, run hard to the top of the stairs. I sense The Beast has awakened and he will attack when he hears the blast. If he is far enough away, we should reach the inner room before he reaches us…"

Kirei took Nel's hand and guided her to a safe place behind Byakuya. Grimmjow moved back as well, but watched the bedroom door carefully. Byakuya centered himself and lowered his eyes, focusing deeply to raise his power. The room began to hum softly, then to rumble, and then to quake as his power rose to its peak. He whispered the words of incantation to give more force the spell, then sent twin blasts of blue fire into the inner door. Cracks formed in the door and a hole was broken in the center, but didn't look large enough for them to pass through.

"Hit it again!" Kirei yelled, "And hurry! It's coming!"

Byakuya abandoned the incantation and sent another shattering blast into the door. The group ran forward as the bedroom door exploded inward and the black body of The Beast burst into the room. Nel screamed and pulled Kirei into a run up the stairway that had appeared as the inner door collapsed. Grimmjow fired a cero into the creature's face, but fell as the wicked, black legs flailed and threw debris into his path. Byakuya moved in between them, his sword drawn and beginning to release.

"Scatter…"

With horrifying speed, the creature dove towards Grimmjow, striking Senbonzakura and stopping the zanpakutou's release.

"Byakuya!" yelled Grimmjow, regaining his feet, "Get out of there!"

The noble fired a blast of kido into The Beast's face and backed towards the stairs.

"Move!" he yelled at Grimmjow.

The Espada snarled, but ran for the stairs. As he reached them, The Beast threw itself forward, aiming for Grimmjow's unprotected back. Byakuya flash stepped towards them. There was the sound of bodies colliding and Grimmjow was driven to the floor beneath Byakuya and the attacking creature. Senbonzakura stabbed into the thing's face, but did little more than hold the fangs away. The creature's eye met Grimmjows, then it lunged for him.

The Espada inhaled sharply, mentally preparing himself for the impact and was surprised when he realized that the fangs had not reached him. Byakuya laid, pressed against him with The Beast's fangs driven deep into the right side of his chest. Grimmjow grabbed the sword from the noble's nerveless hand and drove it deep into one of the creature's black eyes. The Beast reared back, screeching, and abandoned Byakuya, charging through the bedroom door and disappearing…leaving Grimmjow looking down into the stricken shinigami's half-closed eyes.

"Byakuya," Grimmjow said, white-faced.

He heard footsteps on the stairs, then Kirei and Nel were dragging Byakuya into their arms and hissing softly for him to follow them up the stairs. They charged upward as voices rose back in the bedroom and footsteps began to follow them up the stairs. Moving into the room at the top of the stairs, they closed and barricaded the door.

As Nel and Grimmjow continued to strengthen the barricade, Kirei laid Byakuya on the floor and raised a blue light to see the wounds more clearly. He untied the belt at the noble's waist and pushed back the top of his shihakushou. He caught his breath at the sight of the bite markings. The bites, themselves were bad enough, loaded with poison and bleeding profusely, but even worse was the corrosive content of the creature's very saliva, that was already eating away at the shinigami's flesh. Kirei quickly bared the rest of Byakuya's body and searched to make sure he had found all of the wounds. Satisfied that he had, he turned back to the others.

"You must hold the barricade at all costs," he told them, "His wounds are going to kill him quickly if something is not done to prevent it. I have to use my strongest healing power, but it requires time and my full attention. I must join with Byakuya spiritually and heal him from within. Nothing must touch us while we are joined. While my power is raised, enemies within the fortress will be drawn to the outlay of power. They will attack with fury to try to reach us. You must not let them through."

Nel and Grimmjow nodded uncertainly, then returned to the door. They watched, rapt, as white light rose around Kirei and he turned the noble onto his side. The hollow bared himself and wrapped his body around Byakuya's, sending the white light into him and creating a white, powerlit sphere around them. Inside, the bodies of the two glowed more and more brightly, then Kirei's body seemed to turn to liquid form. It flared and began to sink into Byakuya's unmoving frame. Within moments, Kirei had disappeared into the noble and Byakuya's body pulsed with the bright white light.

"Sweet kami!" hissed Grimmjow, wide-eyed, "That's something you don't see every day…"

Nel looked on with hope building in her eyes.

"He'll be able to save Byakuya, I know he will," she said, clasping Grimmjow's arm tightly.

Grimmjow stared at the noble, remembering the feel of that strong body, pushing back against his protectively. He caught his breath and swallowed hard, a lump forming in his stomach. He hated the fact that twice now, the noble had needed his help…and twice the help had had to come from Kirei. First, Kirei had freed Byakuya from The Beast's lair and now after sacrificing himself to protect Grimmjow, Byakuya's life was in Kirei's hands. He wanted to kick himself for feeling jealousy as Kirei's power continued to surround Byakuya. He couldn't have done anything. Had Kirei's power not been there, Grimmjow knew that Byakuya could not have been saved. He would have died within minutes.

So jealousy was useless…

And yet, as Kirei's power peaked and his bare body re-formed and remained wrapped tightly around Byakuya's, the dark feeling refused to leave him. And as the sounds of enemies trying to force their way through the barricade rose up and demanded the Espada's attention, he had to admit…to himself, anyway…that the very thought of anyone else touching Byakuya, made him furious enough to kill…


	9. Words I'll Never Say

**Chapter 9: Words I'll Never Say**

Grimmjow moved slowly around the room, carefully searching for anything that might relate to the poison as Nel guarded the barricaded door and watched Kirei sleeping with his lovely, slender body still wrapped around Byakuya's. He loosed a growl of malcontent as the papers and files he found seemed to shed no new light on what was happening.

"Damn!" he muttered, "There isn't anything here. The bastard wasn't going to come back. Why would he? I don't see anything here he would have needed!"

"Keep looking," said Nel, "or come and watch the barricade and I will look."

"Go ahead and look if you want," the Espada said irascibly, "but you aren't going to find it any more than I did."

"Perhaps I can be of some help," said Kirei, carefully disentangling his body from Byakuya's and standing.

Grimmjow glared at him in annoyance and said nothing.

"Byakuya could use someone to sit with him and provide occasional healing touches," Kirei went on, "Grimmjow, if you wouldn't mind taking care of that, I could search for clues. I might be more likely to find them, considering I was his…lover."

"Fine…whatever," Grimmjow said, dropping down next to the noble as Kirei started around the room.

Nel studied Grimmjow curiously as Kirei searched.

"Grimmjow," she said softly, "you shouldn't be angry with Kirei. He was only helping to save Byakuya. He would have died…"

"Yeah, I know. I was there, remember?" the blue-haired Espada said gruffly, "I don't have a problem with him helping Byakuya. I just don't like him. He was too close to Aizen. You can't trust the ones who were close to him like that."

"He wasn't in love with Aizen Sousuke," insisted Nel, "He was forced to be Aizen's lover."

"Yeah, I know his story…and I'm fine with him, I guess. We don't have to be friends to both want to keep everyone from dying. I can tolerate him."

Nel gave a sigh of frustration.

"You're impossible, Grimmjow."

She eyed him closely.

"When he wakes up, you should talk to him alone."

"What the hell for? What have I got to say to him? He's a shinigami who came to try to make me lead a world I don't even want to be a part of. He didn't give a shit about what I might want."

"Do you really believe that?" Nel asked pointedly, "Because I don't. I know he came here to help you become king, but I also know he cares for you. I think he is in love with you."

"Well then his bad judgment just about matches his ability to find trouble," Grimmjow muttered, "Now, stop bugging me about my love life and watch the damned barricade."

Nel rolled her eyes and turned back to the barricade.

Grimmjow looked around the room and found a relatively clean cup. He took some tea leaves from his pack, then filled the cup with water, warmed it with a cero and added the tea leaves. He sat down next to Byakuya and nudged him gently. The noble groaned and opened his eyes.

"Wake up, bright eyes. It's time for you to get something into your stomach."

"Ugh," groaned the noble, "no…I'll just throw it back up anyway."

"Come on," Grimmjow coaxed him, wrapping an arm around his shoulders and lifting him so he was sitting, then propping him up against the wall, "it's just some tea."

Byakuya groaned again, but brought his lips to the edge of the cup and managed a few sips. He moaned uncomfortably and leaned against Grimmjow as the Espada finished the cup of tea. As he set the teacup down, the noble's face paled and he bent over a small trashcan, retching. Grimmjow shook his head and sighed sympathetically, then wrapped an arm around him and helped him to lie back down on his side.

"I told you so," Byakuya groaned.

Grimmjow felt a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth.

"And of course, you had to be right. So you made yourself throw up to spite me," he said, half joking.

"I do not induce vomiting…ever," stated Byakuya, looking offended.

"That's probably a good thing," Grimmjow went on, "because in addition to it being kinda disgusting and not being terribly good for you, you look sort of like a pregnant cow, all hunched over with your head down like that."

Byakuya's eyes widened and he glared at the Espada.

"Gomen nasai…did you just compare me to…a gestating bovine?" he said, clutching his stomach and sitting up.

"Hey, don't take it personally. No one looks pretty when they throw up…not even you, shinigami."

"Grimmjow," Byakuya said in a low, controlled voice, "Do you think it would be possible for you to use my name on occasion? I won't ask you to stop being offensive. I know exactly what the chances are of you doing that."

"Well, I don't know. I'm not sure I really know what your name is."

"It's Byakuya."

"Ah…and you are just a poor, big brother, looking for a cure for his sister. You lied to me before. How do I know you're not lying to me now?"

What reason would I have to lie to you now? I would gain nothing from doing so. Moreover, I…"

He turned and bent over the trashcan again. Grimmjow slipped an arm around him, only to have it shoved away.

"Don't touch me," Byakuya hissed, groaning and holding his stomach, "and please don't speak to me anymore. You're awful!"

"Hmm," said Kirei, shaking his head, "maybe I'd better assist Byakuya. He looks quite ill."

"I'm doing fine," growled Grimmjow, "Just get back to searching and leave us alone."

"I think I'd rather have Kirei care for me," said Byakuya sourly.

"Yeah?" said Grimmjow, "Well, Pretty Boy is busy finding that cure you're so hot to get your hands on, so lie down and shut up."

"Byakuya is right," said Nel, "You're being horrible!"

"You know what? Just shut the hell up! I'm tired of listening to you! And Byakuya could probably use some rest in a real bed. So I'll tell you what…I'm taking him back to my place and you two idiots can come and let us know when you find something useful!"

He lifted the stunned noble into his arms before he could object, kicked aside the barrier and disappeared. Nel stared after him for a moment, then set the barrier back in place and moved to help Kirei.

XXXXXXXXXX

"What are you doing?" snapped Byakuya as Grimmjow flashed across the desert, carrying him, "Put me down!"

"Yeah right," muttered the Espada, "You'd get real far in your condition."

"Anywhere away from you would be far enough," replied the noble angrily.

"Oh yeah, like somewhere alone with Pretty Boy and his dancing locks?" Grimmjow growled, "Yeah, you'd like that, wouldn't you?"

"Wh-what?" said Byakuya, looking up at the Espada's angry face.

"You heard me," said Grimmjow, "I saw the way he wrapped himself around you…until long after he finished healing you."

"He was exhausted after expending such energy as it took to heal me!" Byakuya insisted, "He never touched me in any way that was remotely inappropriate!"

"He knew I was watching him."

"Grimmjow, Kirei is not attracted to me. He's not attracted to males. Aizen forced himself on Kirei. Didn't you notice? He and Nel are attracted to each other."

"Who are you? The matchmaker?" Grimmjow asked sarcastically.

"I pay attention," said Byakuya, "and if you did, you would know that Nel is in love with Kirei, just as I…"

He caught himself and paused.

"Just as I said…In any case, it was hardly necessary for you to hand deliver me back to your home. I was fine resting where I was…and Kirei might need assistance with the search."

"Like you're in any kinda shape for that…"

"I would have been fine."

"Yeah, you looked fine all leaned over the trashcan, heaving your guts out!" scoffed Grimmjow.

"I am fine, now, so just…put me down!" insisted Byakuya.

"Whatever you say…"

The noble gasped in surprise as Grimmjow loosed his arms and dropped him. He landed in a heap on the sand and sat catching his breath and biting his lips to avoid making any sound.

"Better now?" Grimmjow asked, sarcastically.

Byakuya remained as he was, breathing slowly and leaning forward. Grimmjow knelt next to him and moved his shirt aside to study the area where The Beast had bitten him. Byakuya turned his head to the side and continued to take slow breaths. The Espada focused healing energy into the shoulder, then pushed the noble's hand aside and sent some into his abdomen as well. Then he sat back, looking at the dark, downcast eyes and hurt expression.

"Now," he said quietly, "I'm taking you to my place so that you'll be comfortable and you'll be able to focus on healing. We'll let the ones who are still in one piece do the searching and just give you a chance to get well. I don't want to have to carry you to wherever we have to go next, because I don't imagine it will be as simple as finding a piece of paper and making the cure. I think there's more to it than that. I think you know that too."

He lifted the silent and unresisting noble into his arms and continued on to his cave. He carried Byakuya into the inner room and closed the door behind them, then set him down on the bed and went to make soup and tea. Byakuya slipped out of his clothes, a blush on his cheeks as he realized that Grimmjow was watching him. He put on a red yukata and walked back to the bed. He curled around the pillows, trying to use them to muffle the sigh of relief that escaped him as he settled in. A few minutes later, the Espada set the tray of soup and tea in his lap.

"You feel okay enough to try it?" he asked.

Byakuya nodded and sipped at the soup. Grimmjow sat down on the edge of the bed and watched quietly as he ate. When the noble was finished, he took the tray and went to clean up. By the time he returned, Byakuya had fallen asleep, curled around the pillows. Grimmjow lowered the lights and climbed into bed next to him, wrapping his body warmly around the shinigami's. Byakuya sighed contentedly and settled into his arms. Grimmjow rubbed his stomach with gentle pressure and kissed the place where the long, slender neck met a pale shoulder. He sent his reiatsu into the noble's resting body, chasing away the last of his discomfort and sending him into a deeper, more restful sleep. When he felt certain that Byakuya was too deeply asleep to notice, he rested his face against the shinigami's and curled his arms around him.

"I don't know what made you want to save me," he breathed in the noble's ear, "but…_estoy agradecido_. That's the way we hollows say…I'm thankful. Don't let it go to your head, though. I don't need any shinigami taichou to save me. I can take care of myself. Still…it made me feel…I don't know. It just made me _feel_. And that's worth something to me. It's like when we made love, looking into each other's eyes and my heart started to beat. I haven't told you this. I haven't told anyone…and I don't know what it means, but…it hasn't stopped beating since then. And when I woke up today, the hole in my body was smaller. Something's happening to me. And I think it's because of you. So while you're unconscious and I know you can't hear me…I'll tell you something I won't say to your face."

He pulled back the curtain of black hair that rested on the side of Byakuya's face, then kissed him lightly on the lips.

"_Te amo_…and I won't tell you what it means. You'll have to figure it out…because I won't explain it. I can't. How do you explain impossible, impractical…forbidden love? There's no way in the world that I should be feeling this way…especially not after finding out why you really came here. But some part of me wants to believe that you care about me too…that you would have found your own way to tell me if I hadn't found out. I don't believe in having blind faith, but I do think that there are some people who can be trusted. I want to think you're one of that kind. Because even though you kept things from me, I can still see where you might have thought you were doing right by me. So, I'll speak words to you that no hollow ever would. _Esta bien te perdono_. It means, It's okay…I forgive you. I won't ask you to forgive me. It's like you said. I'm awful. If I'm awful enough, you should leave me. But if you can forgive me too…then…"

He trailed off and nuzzled closer to the sleeping shinigami.

"You're too damned soft…and you smell too good. I get hard just thinking about lying down with you. I shouldn't have let myself get used to that. It will be hard to break the habit when you go back."

He settled against Byakuya's back and laced their fingers together. Sighing, he closed his eyes and let sleep overtake him. As he drifted off and began to snore softly, Byakuya's dark eyes opened for a moment, angling slightly to see the Espada's face, then he smiled and closed his eyes again.

XXXXXXXXXX

Byakuya woke before Grimmjow and sensing the approach of a hell butterfly, he slipped out of the cave. The insect fluttered towards him, then hovered in the air in front of him.

_"Priority one message from Soutaichou…Byakuya, I received your message regarding the myth of the return of the royal family of Hueco Mundo. It is the decision of Central 46 and the Gotei 13 that it is best to follow our original plan, rather than to divert from it to chase an old myth. That being said, it is my order that you shall continue to work at placing the sixth Espada, Grimmjow as the next king. However…if this descendant of the old royal family looks to be dangerously powerful, you must be prepared to protect Grimmjow's claim to the throne by assassinating him before he can interfere. Remember…our goal is balance. While we desire a ruler who is strong enough to maintain order, we do not wish for one so powerful as to be able to make war with us. We have just endured a difficult conflict and do not need another. Please acknowledge_."

Byakuya shivered softly and gazed out over the dark sands at the stark outline of the fortress in the distance. He thought for several minutes, then captured the hell butterfly.

"Priority one message from Kuchiki Byakuya: Message received and orders are confirmed. As of yet, the royal heir has shown no signs of exceptional power. Will continue to observe."

He sent the butterfly winging away and was turning to go inside when a second hell butterfly approached. It stopped in front of him and Kisuke's voice rose up out of it.

"_Byakuya-san, I used the answers you gave me to research your question regarding hollows and the presence of a heartbeat. I had a hell of a time finding anything, but there was one account of something like that happening. The story I found involved two shinigamis who were in a love relationship. One was killed in a battle and became a hollow. The other captured the hollow and hid it, hoping to protect his lover from being destroyed. While the two hid out, they continued their relationship. And the writer of the story wrote that they were so close that they seemed to share souls. When they made love, the hollow's heart would beat and the hole in his body grew smaller. One day, the hole disappeared and the hollow mask faded. The hollow's reiatsu went out of control and the shinigami couldn't control it. The hollow and the shinigami were both killed. This led to a Central 46 prohibition against shinigamis having sexual relations with hollows. I think it would be advisable for you to make certain that you keep that prohibition in mind…Oh…and one more thing I want to tell you. Rikichi lost consciousness and had to join the ones in cryogenic suspension. They are all in very serious condition and bordering on critical. If the cure is not found soon, we will be forced to place them in suspended animation…and you know that the survival rate drops when that approach is used. I know you're doing the best you can, but we are running out of time."_

Byakuya sighed and closed his eyes.

"Message acknowledged," he said softly, and sent the butterfly away.


	10. Mi Corazon

**Chapter 10: Mi Corazon**

Byakuya slipped back into the inner cave and turned toward the shower. He was nearly there when Grimmjow's voice rose out of the early morning darkness.

"So what's the news from the Seireitei?"

Byakuya sighed.

It is not good," he said, meeting Grimmjow's eyes worriedly, "They are near the point of having to switch from cryogenic suspension to suspended animation…a much more risky solution. We must find an answer soon, or I will lose my sister and my fukutaichou."

"Your fukutaichou?"

"Abarai Renji," Byakuya said softly, "He came here with Rukia and Ichigo and their friends. I do not know if you have met him. But Renji grew up with my sister in the Rukongai. They are very close…and Renji watches out for her."

"You speak as though he is a friend," said Grimmjow, "a close friend."

"He is," admitted the noble, "…a very close…and dependable friend."

"And more, perhaps?"

Byakuya shook his head.

"It's never been like that. We both love and protect Rukia and he is my subordinate. I would never complicate our association by stepping over boundaries and approaching him romantically."

"Ah…"

Byakuya slipped out of his yukata and stepped in under the waterfall. Grimmjow laid in the bed, watching with hungry eyes as the noble closed his eyes and let the water run down his body. After a few moments of watching, the Espada climbed out of the bed and moved across the room to the dressing area. He removed his yukata and stepped into the water. Byakuya's eyes opened as the Espada reached him and slipped his arms around the noble's wet body. Their lips met tentatively first, then more hungrily. Grimmjow's arms tightened and he pushed Byakuya back against the rock wall, holding him there and exploring his mouth deeply. The noble's hands slid down the wet, slender body of the sixth Espada, lingering on the smooth curves and his firm buttocks. Grimmjow growled softly with pleasure at the contact and plunged deeper into his mouth, letting his own hands slide down Byakuya's pale flesh, pleasuring everywhere they touched and leaving the noble's fine skin flushed.

"Damn," he muttered, nipping at the sweet, pale throat, "I told myself I'd just look, then that I would only touch lightly…but there's just no keeping my promises to hold back when I'm with you, Byakuya."

The noble felt a shiver pass through him at the sound of his name on those pleasing lips…and the honesty in those words! It was the first time he remembered the Espada expressing such sentiment openly. He was deeply touched…delighted and entranced…

"Then, by all means, do not restrain yourself, Grimmjow," Byakuya urged him, "My injuries have healed enough…"

"Yeah right, they've healed enough!" Grimmjow huffed, "I don't think so."

"I assure you that they have," Byakuya said, frowning, "and after having teased me in such a fashion, I hope you do not plan to leave me to my own devices…"

"Why?" laughed Grimmjow, "Don't taichous know how to masturbate? Or is it that they are just too damned proud?"

"That's quite vulgar…" Byakuya said, his frown deepening.

"I want to see it," said Grimmjow, his voice still soft, but becoming more feral.

"You want to see what?" Byakuya asked, his eyebrow rising.

"I want to see you touch yourself," said the Espada, "You're not my servant anymore, so you don't have to if you don't want to."

"But you desire this?" Byakuya asked curiously, "Why?"

Grimmjow laughed.

"I guess I'm in a mood to be teased. Go ahead…if you want to…"

Dark gray eyes held glinting blue for a long moment, then Byakuya pulled back from Grimmjow and slipped further beneath the waterfall, letting the water splash down over the crown of his head, run through his hair and stream down the long torso. Grimmjow leaned against the wall opposite him, watching with a curious expression, wondering if the straight-laced noble would dare to do something so…so…like he said…vulgar.

And…fucking hot…

The noble's head dropped forward slightly and wet strands of hair fell onto his face, obscuring, but not completely covering…leaving some question as to what was playing out on his face, but hinting relentlessly. His head tilted back then, slender fingers running through the strands on the right side of his face, pulling the hair on that side back, but leaving the left side tantalizingly covered. Water rained in long streams down back and front and all Grimmjow could do was think of catching that water on his tongue as it rolled down the soft, white flesh. Byakuya tilted his head back more, raising his hands to cradle it lightly and arching his back in bliss at the pleasant sensation of the warm water striking his body. Grimmjow stared, rapt, the sound of his own soft growl startling him.

The slender fingers moved over the noble's partially revealed face and the Espada caught his breath at the glimpse of a passionate expression he was given to see. The lovely fingers danced gracefully down from his face to the long, pale throat, lingering there, the nails digging in slightly and creating pink lines on the otherwise pure surface. Grimmjow licked his lips and swallowed hard. Byakuya's arms crossed and curled around his body, hands sliding down muscular arms, then meeting, clasping lightly and unclasping. His left hand fell away to his side and the right rose, the slim fingers finding his lips and stroking them lightly, then plunging deeply into his mouth.

Grimmjow groaned and he felt a heavy throb in his loins as the noble's mouth sucked in the long, beautiful fingers, as the pink tongue stroked them and sharp teeth nipped at them. The look on the part of his face that Grimmjow could see was calm and deeply absorbed…and the shadowed portion he couldn't see made all the more attractive for being covered. By the time Byakuya's fingers were drenched in water and saliva, and left the noble's mouth, the Espada felt as though he had forgotten how to breathe. He sucked in a choked breath, nearly groaning and stared fixedly.

Byakuya's partially exposed lips curved upward and the wet fingers traveled down a sculpted pectoral, sliding over a lovely pink nipple and causing a sudden tension in the full length of the noble's body. Between his thighs, his member twitched softly and began to swell. The searching fingertips went on a gentle offensive, teasing one erect nipple and then the other shamelessly, until the noble's head tilted slightly and a soft moan of pleasure escaped him. The sound traveled straight to Grimmjow's loins, making him harden painfully and leaving him wondering just what the hell he had gotten himself into…

The Espada felt his teased arousal leaking as the noble's tensed hands slid down his ribs, onto the soft abdomen, one finger dipping into the navel, then sliding in and out provocatively. Grimmjow looked up and saw one heated gray eye observing him as the right hand slid down…fingers sinking into wet, black curls, finding the flushed and leaking treasure there and sliding slowly around it. The fingers pushed past to the soft sac at the base…and tantalizingly deeper, giving the tight pink entrance just the gentlest of touches, before moving back and caressing the sac…then slowly licking the fingers of his other hand and sliding them down the long, beautiful body to join the others. His left hand remained there, softly lifting his genitals, while the fingers of the right hand curled around his hardness…sliding up its length, curling around the blushing head and exploring the small slit until Byakuya's lips parted to release soft, panting breaths. His head dropped forward slightly and beneath the curtain of black hair, Grimmjow could see the half-closed eyes…the intense arousal…the beginning of one hell of a sexy loss of control…

The graceful fingers wrapped around the noble's length and slid up and down, the strong body quivering softly as Byakuya's pleasure increased. His eyes slid closed the rest of the way and he groaned softly, teasing Grimmjow finally to the point of breaking.

He wasn't sure exactly how it happened…one moment Byakuya stood in front of him, stroking his own thick arousal and making those beautiful, intense sounds of pleasure, and the next, Grimmjow was across the pool and forcing him down onto his back, with the water exploding outward in all directions around them.

Byakuya gave a startled cry as the Espada's searching mouth found his length beneath the water. Grimmjow gripped Byakuya's thighs tightly, pushing them wide as he attacked the noble's swollen erection. His hands stroked the soft sac and hard, urgent fingers penetrated the tight entrance. Byakuya gasped in a hard seizure of pleasure and slight pain, then warm pulses of fluid erupted into Grimmjow's mouth. The Espada closed his eyes and devoured every drop, then licked the noble's softening member warmly for the last traces. He climbed up the strong, slender body, settling between Byakuya's opened thighs and entering him in a single, hard thrust. Byakuya's body contracted and the slender hands tightened. The Espada heard a sound of mingled pain and pleasure as he held the noble against him, turning his head to meet the soft lips for a bout of rough, hungry kisses.

He meant to give the noble a moment to adjust, but his body would have no more waiting and began to thrust heatedly into Byakuya's. The pale hands gripped him tightly and Byakuya's face burrowed into his shoulder, the hot mouth sucking at his throat as Grimmjow pounded relentlessly into him, growling with pleasure…and words coming out of his mouth with unexpected force.

"_T-te amo! Ah…ah…mi amor! No puedo dejar de pensar en tí…Te…amo…Te adoro…Te necesito!"_

He took a dragging breath and plunged his fingers into the shinigami's thick hair, burying his tongue in Byakuya's mouth to stop himself from saying any more…but the words continue to expel themselves against Byakuya's lips…inside his mouth…on the fine skin of his throat and into his hair. His body arched upward into the one that laid atop it, and as the Espada's body shuddered and began to climax, a phrase whispered into his ear amazed, touched and terrified him all in turn…

"Grimmjow…_Yo tambien te amo…_"

He couldn't have heard it. It wasn't possible. No shinigamis bothered to learn the language of Hueco Mundo. But, he reminded himself, he had known that Byakuya was different from other shinigamis…and now he knew how very different he was…and he couldn't believe their stupidity in falling in love like this…in admitting it to each other…in hoping for any kind of future. It was crazy…too damned crazy.

"You…" he panted, his mind still spinning with pleasure, "you aren't just a shinigami…not just a taichou. You are more than that! Tell me…tell me how you're different…why you know our language…how you knew what to say to me! Tell me!"

He held Byakuya tightly by the shoulders, their bodies still joined and their faces scant inches apart.

"I come from a noble family," Byakuya said softly, "Actually…I am its leader…and all noble youths are required to learn the languages of the living folk as part of our education. We study the connections between languages to help make us multi-lingual. It was a requirement set forth in the earliest days of our current monarch…a way to ensure we understood all beings…to better serve his needs."

"Noble," panted Grimmjow, "and a clan leader…great…fucking great. Byakuya, do you have any idea just how screwed we are?"

Byakuya reached up and let his fingers play over the bone mask on the side of Grimmjow's face.

"We are not screwed…and whatever happens, I do not intend to leave you."

Grimmjow stared at him incredulously.

"You're fucking kidding me, right? B-byakuya, that is insane! You can't take a hollow back to your fucking clan! They'll kill both of us!"

"I don't intend to take a hollow back with me," Byakuya said solemnly, "Grimmjow…I don't know yet how to make it happen…but I know there is a way…to make you a shinigami again."

"Huh?" grunted the Espada, his brow furrowing in disbelief, "I thought your mission was to put me on the damned throne, whether I wanted it or not! Now you want to make me a shinigami? What makes you think I want that any more than I want to be king?"

"It's in your eyes…every time we make love! You want this…I know you do. You hate being a hollow. And my friend in the Seireitei uncovered information which makes me believe I can make you a shinigami again!"

"But you don't _know_! It could just be a big huge dead end."

"I don't believe that," Byakuya insisted, "not for a moment. There is a way…and I am going to find it. I'm taking you back with me!"

Grimmjow stared at him in fascination.

"Crazy…" he breathed, "Fucking loco!"

He laughed sarcastically.

"And have you given any thought to what your soutaichou will think of you doing such a thing?"

Byakuya's eyes lowered and closed for a moment.

"He still expects me to put you on the throne."

"Did you tell him about Kirei?" Grimmjow asked.

"Hai," Byakuya answered, "and Soutaichou said that the Central 46 and Gotei 13 agree that you are a better choice. Kirei is royalty, but he is not powerful enough…"

"Don't jerk me around, Byakuya. I know why they want me and not him. If he comes into his birthright powers, he will be a strong leader. They want strength, but not competition."

"You are correct," admitted Byakuya, "And they went so far as to order me to ensure he does not obstruct your path to the throne."

"Wh-what? You mean…"

"To kill him if he becomes too strong."

Grimmjow stared.

"And would you do that, Byakuya? Would you kill Kirei to keep the hollow leadership from becoming too strong?" Grimmjow asked, his eyes intense.

Byakuya stared back at him with equal forcefulness.

"I do not intend that you shall remain a viable option. If you regain your shinigami form, then there is no choice but to seat Kirei on the throne."

"And you think it's that easy…change me back and seat him on the throne and all is forgiven? Are you nuts? Your soutaichou and the Central 46? They are going to kill you!"

"They won't know the mechanism of your transformation."

"Huh…you are dreaming, mi corazon! There ain't no fucking way they won't know just what you did! Your ass will fry for this!"

"And you care what happens to me?" Byakuya asked, a lovely, thin smile claiming his lips.

Grimmjow scowled, but couldn't quite manage to make the expression real.

"Well…what good would it be going back a shinigami if my lover is going to die for it?"

"I won't be killed. I might face some prison time, but my clan won't allow them to kill me."

"Your clan?" muttered Grimmjow, "You'll be lucky if your clan doesn't volunteer to kill you themselves!"

He rested his head on the noble's chest and watched with dazed eyes as the waterfall splashed down into the water all around them.

"Fucking insane…that's what you are!"

"Hmmm," sighed Byakuya, "That's your fault. _Estoy loco por ti._"

"Loco is right," Grimmjow answered, "You're out of your fucking mind, thinking you can do this."

"Maybe," the noble said softly, "but I have to try."

He leaned forward to kiss the Espada, but froze as Kirei's voice rose up in the outer part of the cave. In an instant, the two were out of the water and pulling their yukatas into place. They rushed out of the inner cave and found the handsome hollow stumbling into camp, bleeding profusely and holding Nel's toddler form in his arms.

"What the hell happened?" demanded Grimmjow.

"W-we…finished searching and found nothing in…Aizen's room, s-so we…looked in mine. I found…he had been…in my secret study. I didn't even think…you know…because he left me. We found…some papers…we think are them…but they are encoded. We can't read them. We were leaving…when we were attacked by the beast. Nel attacked it to protect me…and she was doing well, but couldn't make herself kill it. She changed forms and it…bit her. I healed the poison…but she bled profusely. She will require rest."

He turned to Byakuya, his eyes intense.

"I need you to do something for me," he said forcefully, "I must reach Aizen Sousuke! I can enter his body, using an extension of my healing art. I can invade his mind and I can learn the code…but I have to reach him. You have to get me in to see him!"


	11. I Fell in Love With You

**Chapter 11: I Fell in Love with You**

**(Okay…thanks must go out to Genesis Beautiful Soul, who shared Chayanne's Me Enamore de ti (I Fell in Love with You) with me and inspired this chapter. You should listen to it as you read…oh, and look up the lyrics…very appropriate for these two lovers! Thanks GBS! Love you!)**

**Translations…for my friend, geecee…mi corazon = my heart, mi amor = my love, estoy listo = I'm ready, querido = sweetheart, mas rapido = faster, mas fuerte = stronger…my apologies if I made any errors, but my knowledge of Spanish doesn't yet match my appreciation for it!)**

Byakuya leaned over a sleeping Nel and gently washed her face with a washcloth, while next to him, Grimmjow focused his healing power and sent it into Kirei's sleeping form. The Espada sighed and shook his head at the sight of the duo's injuries. He glanced up at Byakuya, his eyes tired and anxious.

"How is she?" he asked Byakuya.

"Kirei's quick action seems to have saved her. She is sleeping quite deeply, but she…"

He paused and made a discomfited face, and his hand slipped to his abdomen.

"Aww, hell…" Grimmjow muttered, wrapping an arm around him, "Is it the poison?"

"I…imagine it must be," said Byakuya, bending forward.

His face paled and he flash stepped out of the cave. Grimmjow cringed as he heard the sounds of retching and several deep coughs. He left Kirei and Nel sleeping in his bed in the inner cave and moved to the outer cave, closing the door behind him. He heard Byakuya cough heavily again, and slipped out of the cave and over to where he knelt in the sand, trying to catch his breath.

"Okay, _mi corazon_?" he asked softly, slipping his arm around the noble's slender body and helping him to move closer to the fire they had started earlier.

Byakuya nodded briefly and leaned into his embrace, resting his head on a muscular shoulder. Grimmjow frowned and pressed his body close to Byakuya's, his free hand reaching up to touch a soft, flushed cheek.

"This doesn't bode well, considering you and Kirei are going to the Seireitei in the morning. You know that being in that place will cause the poison's effects to accelerate."

"I know," said Byakuya, nuzzling beneath his chin, "but he can only enter the Seireitei while concealed within me…and using my family's personal senkaimon. Any other way and he will be detected."

"And how are you going to get into the prison where Aizen is being kept?"

"I must request permission from Soutaichou and from Central 46. This must be done in person and permission granted by both. I will have Urahara Kisuke in attendance…I will request it based on my reduced capacity due to the poison. He can provide a distraction while Kirei leaves my body to question Aizen."

"And what happens if you are caught?" Grimmjow asked, lacing their fingers together.

"Kirei will be executed…and I…will be tried and likely imprisoned. It is not as though my intent is to free Aizen. I only desire what information he has…so the penalty would not be death…not for me, anyway."

"But it might as well be…considering how fast the poison will take you once you are there," Grimmjow said, frowning and stroking a pale cheek, "You have to be careful, _mi amor_, I want you to come back."

A sweet smile graced Byakuya's lips.

"You do?"

Grimmjow sighed and closed his eyes.

"What, does that surprise you?" he asked, chuckling softly.

Byakuya sighed and brushed the Espada's throat with light kisses.

"No," he whispered, "It only surprises me when you say it out loud."

"Hmmm…" sighed Grimmjow, tilting his head back, "I can't seem to help it. I used to have trouble admitting it, even to myself…now when we're together, I can't seem to shut up about it."

He turned and lowered Byakuya onto his back.

"Here," he said softly, "Let me see if I can use my reiatsu to calm the poison a bit."

"But you just got finished healing Kirei and…"

"Shh, _mi corazon_. You need to be strong for your return to the Seireitei. I am just going to be here babysitting Nel while you are gone. Lie still."

The Espada's hands moved lightly over his body, bathing him in soft green light and lighting their faces. Byakuya reached up to touch Grimmjow's lips as he worked, then let his finger's crawl slowly over the hollow mask. The Espada's eyes closed and he struggled to focus as Byakuya's hands rose from beneath him and softly traced his face and throat. Grimmjow gave him a slow smile.

"What is that about?" he asked, letting the light around his hands fade.

The smoky gray eyes studied him quietly for a moment.

"I'm memorizing you…using touch…sight…"

He lifted his head and met the Espada's lips for several slow kisses.

"taste…your scent…and the sound of your voice…so that while I am away from you, I can remember what it is like to be with you."

"Hmmm…" mumbled Grimmjow, sitting up.

"What are you doing?" Byakuya asked.

Grimmjow smiled.

"I'm going to help you memorize me," he whispered, slipping the yukata off.

He untied and opened the noble's yukata.

"Hope you don't mind we're out here. Those two are asleep and there's no one nearby…"

"And if they were, what would they be about to see, Grimmjow?" Byakuya asked softly.

"Just a couple of lovers enjoying the moonlight, ne?" the Espada chuckled, "Don't move."

Placing the moon at his back so the light shined around him and lit his body and hair, Grimmjow straddled the noble's body, bringing their already aroused genitals into contact with each other.

"While you are away from me," he said softly, "This is what I want you to remember…"

He placed his hands on either side of Byakuya's body and began a gentle thrusting with his hips. Byakuya's hands rose up and curled around his torso, sliding slowly down and holding the Espada's hips as they moved.

"I want something," Grimmjow whispered, his eyes intense, "something I would only want from you."

Byakuya stared up into the cool blue eyes searchingly.

"Byakuya, _mi corazon_…I want you inside me," he said, leaning down to kiss the noble's parted lips, "I want you to take me…fill me…to keep me warm inside, even when you are gone away from me…can you do that?"

Byakuya took a soft, stunned breath and nodded. He gazed up at the beautiful moonlit form of his lover as Grimmjow lifted himself and slowly lowered himself onto the noble's hardened member, his eyes closing for a moment as his head bowed and he adjusted to the feeling of being filled. Byakuya kept his hands rested on the Espada's slim hips, his eyes flaring softly and his arousal increasing, making his heart race wildly beneath his breast. Grimmjow's eyes opened and met his warmly.

"_Estoy listo, mi amor_…" he whispered, taking the noble's hands from his hips and lacing their fingers together.

Their hands entwined, he began to move. Byakuya's fingers tightened and he struggled to keep his eyes from closing so that he wouldn't miss a moment of looking at Grimmjow's lovely, naked body, leaning over him, the moonlight bending around him and lighting the edges. He wanted to hold perfectly still, to freeze and stop breathing, to disappear into the beautiful sensation of heat wound tightly around his aching erection, but the feeling was so intense that he couldn't help but move…couldn't help but thrust upward and watch the expression of bliss that broke across Grimmjow's face.

"That's it, _querido_," the Espada panted softly, closing his eyes and moving his hips faster, "_mas rapido…mas rapido…mas fuerte_!"

Grimmjow lowered his head and fell forward, releasing Byakuya's hands and bracing himself, his deep moans becoming hard growls of delight as the noble's hips thrust heavily upward into his. Byakuya felt a sudden shift in the reiatsu around them and then, inexplicably, his lover's body began to change…taking on a more leonine appearance…his hair lengthening until it cascaded down his back…his ears extending to sharp, catlike points and hands and feet forming razor sharp claws. He was exotically beautiful in a very different, extremely dangerous way. He opened his ice blue eyes and glared down at Byakuya, his lips curling back to reveal sharp, white fangs. Byakuya captured the Espada's face in both hands and brought their mouths together. He thrust his tongue into Grimmjow's mouth and ran it lightly along the sharp edges, teasing a snarl from the tensed body on top of his. He thrust upward harder and faster, one hand finding Grimmjow's length and wrapping around it. The Espada groaned in deep pleasure, his body shaking and his hips thrusting into the hand that pleasured him. He raised a trembling claw and let the tips touch Byakuya's face, making him catch his breath sharply and his hips thrust harder into the body on top of his. The claw slid lightly down his jawline, gently tracing it, then sliding dangerously down his sweating, unprotected throat. The noble stared rapt at the feral, catlike eyes and for a breathless moment wondered if Grimmjow was going to kill him.

And strangely enough, he wouldn't have blamed the Espada for doing so…

Because there couldn't be, he decided, anything more beautiful than this…lying beneath the moonlight, under the spell of his fully unleashed lover…surrounded in stars and so achingly beautiful it brought tears to his eyes. But that sight became even more enthralling as he thrust upward with all of his strength, holding his lover's hips and emptying himself into Grimmjow's seething core. His eyes closed and his breath exploded into cries of pleasure. The Espada's mouth found his and devoured every last vibration of sound, then kissed away a stray tear that had escaped his eye.

Regaining his senses somewhat, Byakuya realized that the stars had disappeared and now Grimmjow's body was surrounded in soft, pink light. They rested within a sphere of deadly bladed petals, exchanging deep, lingering kisses as his body relaxed and he became able to breathe again.

He lifted himself carefully and curled into Grimmjow's embrace, heedless of the light sting as the sharp claws caught his fine white skin, leaving small traces of blood. He realized as his arms wrapped around the Espada that a few of the swirling petals had left their marking on Grimmjow's body as well. He made his way down Grimmjow's body, licking away the tiny streaks of red and touching him with healing power. Finished with that, he kissed his way down the long torso again and sank hungrily into his navel, sucking warmly and sliding a slender hand down lower to capture and stroke his leaking erection. Grimmjow curled his claws around the noble's pale wrist and pulled him onto his lap.

"No more teasing, _mi corazon_," he growled softly, "It's my turn now…"

Byakuya sank down onto his swollen arousal, locking eyes with the Espada as he rose and fell on Grimmjow's thickened length. Their mouths met in hard, bruising kisses, the light, coppery taste of blood teasing them into harder, hungrier thrusts and drawing moans of delight that blended and seemed to become one on the cool night air. Grimmjow's body went taut against his, then shuddered heavily and filled him with hot pulses as he nuzzled in between throat and shoulder, kissing the sweet white skin and moaning softly.

He wasn't sure how long they remained joined that way and only had a vague memory of the petals fading away and Grimmjow lowering him to the ground and settling into his arms to sleep. When he woke, Grimmjow had returned to his normal state and they rested beneath a warm blanket with a scattering of pink petals around them.

He disentangled himself from Grimmjow's body and set his yukata back in place, then left him sleeping and opened the door to the inner cave. Kirei sat quietly on the bed, looking up at him as he walked in and Nel stood under the waterfall, laughing and splashing about playfully.

"Pretty Shin!" she squealed softly, then stopped and looked up at him questioningly, "But that's not your name, is it?"

"No," answered the noble, "it is Byakuya."

"Byakuya's name is long and Nel prefers a nickname. Nel will call you Pretty Bya."

"As you will, then," Byakuya said, smiling and shaking his head.

Nel went back to playing in the water and Byakuya sat down next to Kirei.

"How are the two of you this morning?" Byakuya asked the hollow.

"As well as can be expected, having been attacked by the beast. You know yourself that both claw and poison are deadly and leave their traces long after. That is one very foul creature…"

"Are you well enough for our trip into the Seireitei?"

Kirei nodded.

"It won't take much power to fuse with your body. The hardest part, of course, will be penetrating Aizen's mind. I will have to leave your body and enter his. While there, even though his powers are sealed away, I will be somewhat vulnerable to the effects of his mind. Hopefully, he will be in a somewhat diminished state from his imprisonment."

"There is no chance that he could invade your mind and escape his body?" Byakuya asked solemnly.

"That is a danger, Byakuya. But being that this is the only way to break that code…we must try."

Byakuya nodded.

"I will be bringing Urahara Kisuke with us to keep the guards from sensing what we are about."

"Have you secured permission to use your family senkaimon to cross over?"

Byakuya nodded.

"I sent a hell butterfly last night indicating my need to question Aizen, so all is in place. You just need to fuse with me and then I will open the gate."

Kirei nodded.

"Nel and I will make breakfast while you and Grimmjow bathe and dress."

Nel climbed out of the pool and dried off, then dressed and followed Kirei out of the room. Byakuya moved to the dressing area and disrobed, then slipped in under the waterfall. He sighed softly, closing his eyes and remembering. A few minutes later, he sensed Grimmjow's presence and smiled as the Espada's arms wrapped around him from behind.

"So this is it, ne?" whispered Grimmjow in his ear, "This is our chance to have our answers."

"Hmmm…" Byakuya sighed, "as long as Kirei is able to penetrate Aizen's mind and escape with what we need."

"He'll do it, Byakuya," Grimmjow assured him.

"Interesting," Byakuya said, looking up into the ice blue eyes, "I thought you were the one who still had suspicions."

"Well…so far he has proven to be everything he says he is…and Nel trusts him. She has good instincts. Kirei is going to find what we need and then you'll come back and we'll finish this."

Byakuya's hand slid down between them, stopping as he reached the hole in the Espada's lower abdomen.

"It's almost gone…" said Grimmjow in a soft voice, "I wonder what that means…if I'll just…change…or if there's something more that will happen."

The noble moved his hand back to Grimmjow's chest and felt the soft, steady beat of his heart.

"I don't know," he admitted, "but that is something that Kisuke will help us with."

"You think so?"

"I believe so…and I want you to believe so too."

They met for several lingering kisses, then left the shower and returned to the dressing area. Once dressed, they met Kirei and Nel outside the cave for a hurried breakfast, then Kirei gathered his power and the rest watched as his body turned golden and he prepared to enter Byakuya.

"Wait a moment," Grimmjow said, laying a hand on the noble's arm.

Byakuya turned back and found himself wrapped in the Espada's arms, his mouth invaded with a last, desperate kiss.

"Let that tide us over until you come back," Grimmjow said softly, "Take care of yourself, _querido_. Stay strong and come back to me."

Byakuya nodded and stepped out of the circle of his arms. He stood quietly as Kirei moved forward, wrapping his body around the noble's then slowly sinking into him and disappearing. As the light of Kirei's power faded, Byakuya drew Senbonzakura and opened the senkaimon. He looked back one more time at Grimmjow and Nel, standing side-by-side and watching, then he turned and passed through the gate, closing it behind him and returning the area to its prior darkness. Nel looked up at Grimmjow, then squeezed his hand gently.

"Pretty Bya will come back, Grimmjow," she said reassuringly, "He won't leave Nel and Grimmjow to die."

"I know…but I'm worried. He was pretty sick from the poison last night. And it will be worse while he's there."

"Nel knows," the wide-eyed toddler said quietly, "and Nel is worried too. But Nel is going to believe in them…even though Nel is not sure. Grimmjow should believe in them too."

Grimmjow sighed softly and closed his eyes.

"I do," he admitted around clenched teeth, "I don't know why, but I do."


	12. The Beast Inside

**Chapter 12: The Beast Inside**

Byakuya stepped out of the senkaimon and almost immediately, felt a heavy sick feeling pass through him. He breathed slowly through the sensation, frustrated that the poison had advanced so much in his system…but there was, he realized, nothing that he could do about it. He flash stepped through the rain soaked garden and out onto the wet streets of the Seireitei, feeling oddly out of place where there was light and rain, after being in the Hueco Mundo desert so much…

He reached the fourth division and asked for Urahara Kisuke, then waited as the attendant left to find the shopkeeper. Kisuke arrived at flash step speed, concern in his eyes as he took in Byakuya's condition.

"You don't look so good, Kuchiki-san," he said, shaking his head, "Perhaps you should let me take this out of your hands…"

"No," Byakuya said, holding a hand to his midsection and breathing through the odd pains, "Come…we must go now. We have no time left."

"You have that right," Kisuke said quietly as they left the fourth division together, "All of them are in suspended animation. Luckily, none of them died in the induction process…and hopefully after we give them the cure, none will die in the recovery."

"We shall remain hopeful, Urahara-san," said Byakuya, leading the way to the first division, "But we must move quickly now."

"Do you figure you'll encounter much resistance with Soutaichou or the councilors?" Kisuke asked.

"Soutaichou is supportive and understands the dire nature of our situation. I have to hope that he was able to convey this to the councilors of Central 46 and that they will support my efforts."

"Yeah, I'll keep my fingers crossed…" muttered Kisuke.

They ran up the steps and were taken immediately to Soutaichou. They waited, kneeling on the floor for only a few moments before the captain commander entered the room. He studied their bowed heads and frowned at Byakuya's deeply pale skin and shaking body.

"Byakuya," he said quietly, "The poison threatens to overwhelm you. I fear we may need to have another return to Hueco Mundo in your stead."

"That is not necessary," the noble said firmly, "I am resolved to see this through. I would, however, request that as the others are stabilized and not requiring further treatment until a cure is found, that Urahara-san be permitted to accompany me for Aizen Sousuke's questioning and the return to Hueco Mundo."

The captain commander nodded in approval.

"I agree with the wisdom of this. You will, at least, have someone who can put you in suspended animation if you should be overcome by the poison."

"Hai."

"Go then…to Central 46. You have my permission to see the prisoner, Aizen Sousuke."

Byakuya and Kisuke rose and flash stepped out of the office. They raced across the city, to the council chambers of Central 46. By the time they reached the building, Byakuya was out of breath and leaning against Kisuke. Kisuke checked the noble's reiatsu and shook his head.

"Kuchiki-san, whatever you are concealing…it begins to overwhelm your systems to carry it."

He pulled Byakuya into a corner and raised a reiatsu cage around them.

"Okay…tell it to come out."

Byakuya stared.

"You sensed it?" he asked, his eyes haunted, "If so, they will too."

"No," Kisuke assured him, "I just discovered it because I already knew something was up and knew what to look for. These hacks won't sense it, but we do have to get it out of your body before you drop in your tracks."

Byakuya wiped the sweat from his brow and nodded briefly. He bowed his head and focused, a golden light swelling up inside him and slowly pushing out and free of his body. The golden form shimmered and solidified until Kirei stood between them. The hollow turned to Kisuke.

"I thank you for your assistance," he said to Kisuke, "I am Kirei. I am a descendant of the ancient royal family of Hueco Mundo."

"You mean…you're the one Kuchiki-san told Soutaichou about…the hollow prince."

"Hai, I am a prince…and while Aizen Sousuke ruled Las Noches, I was forced to endure him as a lover."

"Aizen's lover…I seem to remember hearing of you…least I think it must have been you. They said he was the most beautiful of all hollows…and you would definitely fit the description. But if you were his lover, then why would Byakuya…"

"Because he was not Aizen's lover by choice…and he wants as much as any to stop the poison," said Byakuya, "In any case, Kirei is the only one who can get Aizen to talk, because he can get inside his mind and take what we need to know by force."

"Hmmm…" said Kisuke, frowning, "sounds kind of risky, if you ask me. I mean, your ability does seem pretty uncanny, but are you sure you're not just going to be overwhelmed by him? He may have his powers sealed away, but the mind is powerful, even without the reiatsu…"

"I am aware of the risks I am taking, but this is the only way we know of to break the code and cure the poison," Kirei explained.

"And how can we be certain that you aren't really here to free him?" Kisuke asked pointedly.

"He poisoned my world. He left me behind to die. Is that not proof enough?" Kirei asked.

"Well…it would seem enough," said Kisuke, "but Aizen Sousuke controlled the minds of those around him…even ones he took by force, Kirei-san. But I have to admit that the code Kuchiki-san sent has proven indecipherable…and that's hard to achieve. I think we have no choice but to trust you…but I hope you will understand if we are watchful."

"Of course, Urahara-san," Kirei answered, turning to look at Byakuya, "Well then, are we ready to go now? If so, I must hide myself within you, Urahara-san. Byakuya is deteriorating too rapidly for me to inhabit his body any longer. And you should know that it is not just the poison, but…"

He broke off as the noble's eyes rolled back and he dropped into the hollow's arms.

"Damn!" exclaimed Kisuke, "I knew it was bad…but he's so determined to help Rukia and the others. But the poison…"

"It's only partially the poison," said Kirei, easing the noble to the ground, "I sensed when I was within his body…Byakuya is being affected by Grimmjow's reiatsu. It has been collecting inside him ever since he became Grimmjow's servant."

Kisuke stared, dumbfounded.

"He's…wait…wait… are you telling me that Kuchiki Byakuya…is Grimmjow's, Espada Grimmjow's…servant?" he stammered, "That's…just crazy! Why the hell would he even think for a moment…"

"His team was overrun and he was captured, Urahara-san. Byakuya was raped and beaten by numerous hollows. Grimmjow rescued him from the prisons…or he would not have lived. The hollows there were going to kill him. In exchange for Grimmjow helping him, Byakuya agreed to become his servant. Grimmjow placed the markers on his body and took him sexually to seal them."

"Markers…" Kisuke repeated dumbly, studying the noble's body more closely.

"You won't find them. Grimmjow released Byakuya from his servitude…but what we did not realize is that every time they were together, Byakuya's body collected more and more of Grimmjow's reiatsu. And the reiatsu is in flux. Grimmjow has nearly lost his hollow hole. It is being with Byakuya that has done this…but it has destabilized Byakuya's body."

"So we need to remove it?" Kisuke asked.

"We cannot," Kirei said, shaking his head and bending forward to send healing energy into the body of the fallen noble, "It is bound to his own reiatsu. I do not understand why it has done this, but if it has destabilized Byakuya's reiatsu, then it has likely done the same to Grimmjow."

"Damn it," muttered Kisuke, "What the hell was he thinking, having sex with a hollow…"

"They are in love with each other," Kirei said simply.

"Huh…" Kisuke went on, shaking his head, "Didn't know hollows could fall in love. Isn't it kind of against their nature?"

"You will find, Urahara-san, that not all hollows are all bad, just as not all shinigamis are all good. If they were, then we would not be needing to see Aizen Sousuke."

"Still, Byakuya, straight-laced, law abiding Kuchiki Byakuya…but then…it is about Rukia…and after the whole Aizen thing, he was different…"

"Urahara-san," Kirei said, his voice growing more urgent, "We must revive him and get him on his feet. He is the one who the councilors are expecting to see."

"Right," said Urahara, leaning over Byakuya and focusing his reiatsu to send a soft jolt through the noble.

Byakuya's eyes fluttered open and he sat up, then put a hand to his stomach, turned and threw up in the bushes beside them. He swayed dizzily as Urahara leaned over him and focused more healing energy into him.

"Come on, Byakuya, help me out here…" he said softly.

"I am not being resistant, Urahara-san," the noble said in a soft voice, "I think it is the poison…"

"Yeah," said Urahara, giving him a skeptical look, "That and your taste in boyfriends…"

"Gomen nasai…what are you talking about?" the noble asked dazedly.

"Ah, don't get all dewy-eyed and innocent with me, Kuchiki-san, Kirei told me about you and Grimmjow…so he was the one you told me about, ne?"

Byakuya nodded.

"I won't tell you that it isn't what you think," he began.

"Good, then I'll know you're not lying through your teeth," chuckled the shopkeeper, "I just hope you know how much trouble you are in for, Kuchiki-san."

"I'm in for nothing if I do not survive, which I won't do if we remain here exchanging pleasantries…"

"Ah, can you get up then?"

Byakuya nodded and pushed himself to his feet. His legs trembled beneath him, but he managed to stay on his feet. Kirei and Kisuke infused him with additional healing energy until his legs became more steady.

"This is sufficient," he told them hastily, "now Kirei must conceal himself inside you, Urahara-san."

"Yeah…great, I'm so looking forward to that…" muttered the shopkeeper, his body tensing as Kirei's body curled around his and began to glow golden.

He caught his breath uncomfortably as the hollow sank into him.

"Ah," he said softly, "Well…that was…weird."

He looked back at Byakuya.

"Let's go, Kuchiki-san."

Byakuya nodded and opened the reiatsu cage. He led Kisuke up the steps and into Central 46. As they waited just outside the council room, Byakuya couldn't help but notice the tension in his body.

"Urahara-san, is _his_ presence that distressing for you?" he asked.

"Ah…actually no. It's just that…the last time I went into this damned chamber, I got banished from the Seireitei. And now I'm back…and they probably would have even more reason to banish or kill me outright, considering…"

"I see," said the noble, stifling a small smile, "Just try not to think about it. All will be well."

"Sure…right…everything will go smoothly, right? What could go wrong, ne?"

"Stop babbling," said Byakuya reprovingly, "You're going to alert them that something is not right."

"Easy to say for the guy who's _not_ concealing a hollow…"

"Shut up…here they come."

"Kuchiki taichou, Urahara-san, come…the council is ready to see you."

Byakuya and Kisuke followed the one who had greeted them down a long hall and into the huge meeting chamber. The councilors sat in their seats, looking sternly down at the two shinigamis standing in front of them.

"We were not aware that Urahara-san would be in attendance, Kuchiki taichou," the head councilor said to Byakuya.

Byakuya nodded in agreement.

"I have been affected to the point that I require Urahara-san's constant presence at my side, to provide healing and to place me in suspended animation like the others, should my body begin to fail. I ask that council allow him to remain at my side…and that the two of us be allowed to question Aizen."

The head councilor sighed and lowered his head.

"Kuchiki taichou, normally, this council would consider neither your request to have contact with this prisoner, nor your insistence that Urahara-san accompany you…but we have heard from Soutaichou that the hollow world has been poisoned as well…and our worlds are in danger of collapse. We have seen enough to believe the information is correct. We will allow you to proceed…but you will be accompanied by a council member…and the entirety of the interview recorded."

"B-…"

"That will be acceptable," Urahara said, cutting off the noble's answer.

The head councilor frowned at Kisuke.

"Urahara-san…in the future, you will speak in these chambers, only when given leave to do so by this council. Do you understand?"

"Hai…sorry…it just looked as though Kuchiki taichou was weakening for a moment and I was just trying to help. Gomen nasai, it won't happen again."

"I certainly hope not," the councilor said dryly, "It is enough that you are allowed to show your face here after being banished. We will accept no impropriety from you."

"Ah…no…no offense intended," Kisuke said, giving the council a disarming smile.

"Guards…take them to Aizen Sousuke…and wait outside the door. Councilor Sora will accompany them."

Byakuya and Kisuke turned to follow the guards out of the chamber.

"What were you thinking?" Byakuya whispered as they left, "They will…"

"Shh, trust me…" Kisuke whispered back, "They weren't going to accept argument…and it would have made them suspicious. Just…follow my lead and be ready for anything."

"Is this what you said to Ichigo when you hollowfied him?" the noble inquired archly.

"Hey," Kisuke said reprovingly, "I wouldn't have had to do that if you hadn't nearly sliced the kid in two!"

"I was following orders."

"Yeah…I remember. So…is that why you're screwing a hollow now?"

"If I was merely 'screwing' him, then we wouldn't be suffering the effects you see, ne?"

"Huh…no, probably not. Anyway, getting back to the topic at hand…just…go with me here. I have an idea."

"Hmmm…" muttered the noble, "Why do I feel chilled at the thought?"


	13. Internal Entrapment

**Chapter 13: Hidden Fangs**

Councilor Sora wore a grim expression as he walked down through the prison levels with Urahara Kisuke at his left shoulder and Kuchiki Byakuya at his right. He wouldn't have dared come down so deeply into the prison levels if not for the specially trained guard detail and the known power of the two shinigamis who accompanied him. And even with that level of protection, knowing that he would be in the presence of Aizen Sousuke left the councilor extremely unnerved. He gazed watchfully at the ones coming with them, remembering his discussion with the head councilor just before leaving for the cellblock.

"If they are going to see Aizen Sousuke, then they must have something they can use to gain his cooperation…either something they know or something that they can do. Your mission, then, is to find out what that is…and report back."

The councilors weren't fooled for a moment into thinking that this would be an ordinary questioning, and being that Urahara Kisuke would be involved, the interrogators would have to be watched carefully indeed. Then, there was the whole matter of Aizen Sousuke, himself. No one believed for a moment that it was safe to be around him, even bound and with his powers sealed away. He was the most dangerous criminal in the three worlds, and one mistake would allow him to escape the confines of his cell and wreak more havoc.

"So," said Urahara, "Is this your first time being this close to the bastard?"

"We had him in the central chamber for his trial," Sora said quietly, "but we weren't allowed close enough to touch him and no one felt safe until he had been sentenced and brought down here."

"You guys are pretty damned smart to be cautious like that. Just because his powers are sealed away doesn't make the guy safe. He'll never be safe…not ever."

"I just wish there was a way to execute him," said Sora, "not having that measure leaves us all unnerved and it makes the punishment he endures relatively meaningless. I mean, twenty-thousand years is a lot to you and me…but to him, it's nothing."

"Well," said Kisuke, "It will buy us time to develop a way to get rid of him for good. I created the hougyoku…and perhaps I will find the way to destroy it…"

"I hope that is true, Urahara-san," said Sora.

Sora shifted uncomfortably as they reached Aizen's cell and they were searched again, then allowed to pass. The door closed behind them with a hollow clang. Sora remained close to Urahara as the former taichou approached Aizen and removed the bindings that covered his face.

Brown eyes blinked at the sudden return of sight and the familiarity of the faces in front of him. His lips curved upward.

"Well…Urahara Kisuke," he said, testing his voice, "and Kuchiki Byakuya…and one of those vacuous councilors to make sure you behave in here with me. What a shame…"

"Yeah well…you know they can't trust the two of us anywhere near you now. Because even if we can't kill you, we can certainly find ways to make you hurt for what you did."

Aizen's smile widened.

"I'm surprised not to see your Ryoka toy with you," he said smoothly, "Where is Ichigo? Has he regained his powers yet? You know he will eventually, right?"

"Shut up," said Kisuke, "We'll be asking the questions here."

"Kuchiki taichou," Aizen went on, his eyes studying Byakuya carefully, "You look…unwell. Are you ill?"

"I am well enough to stop your plans."

"Are you?" asked Aizen, his eyes glinting, "That's wonderful. I do enjoy seeing you struggle against the rising tide…Tell me, Byakuya, how is Rukia?"

Byakuya stepped forward and wrapped a hand around his throat, prompting the door to open and a guard to step in. The noble loosened his grip, but continued to glare at Aizen.

"Kuchiki-san, will you step to the side so I can interrogate him?" asked Kisuke, giving Byakuya a meaningful glance.

Byakuya nodded and released Aizen, then moved into a position that partially blocked the guard's view of Kisuke. His reiatsu remained riled, vaguely obscuring the air around them.

"Councilor Sora, would you mind moving around behind Kuchiki-san? It is safer while I use my powers to make him answer."

Sora nodded and moved around behind Byakuya, still looking over his shoulder, but also partially blocked. As soon as he was in place, Urahara placed one hand on Aizen's forehead, while the hand they could not see touched the restrained shinigami's chest. The hand on Aizen's forehead flared just enough to hide Kirei's exit from his body and the slow entrance into Aizen's.

As the hollow slid into his body, Aizen's eyes flew open wide and he opened his mouth to speak. He paused for a moment, reconsidering, and instead smiled.

"I see…" he said, smiling at Kisuke, "Now things are making much more sense…why you and Kuchiki are here together…why you thought I would talk to you…all…I see everything now Urahara Kisuke. And you should know. Nothing will happen as you planned it!"

XXXXXXXXXX

Kirei slid easily into Aizen's restrained body, flinching inwardly at the close contact with this one he despised above all others. He wished fervently that there was a way to kill the shinigami for the years of torment Kirei had endured as his lover.

"You are not paying nearly enough," he whispered, moving towards where he sensed the shinigami's mind was housed.

He felt the oppressive weight of the seals that held back Aizen's power and nearly laughed as the powers he would be using were innate and not subject to the dictates of the seal. He closed in on his former master's mind, pausing just outside and feeling sadness well up at the memory of just how he had been used…

"I lead the hollows now," Aizen said in that sinfully soft voice, "and as king, I will have the very best that hollow-kind has to offer. Kirei, you are to be congratulated. To share my bed is a great honor. And to have you in my arms will be a sinful pleasure…"

He forced the thought away, then caught his breath as he realized that the thought had been a form of mental attack. He looked around and sensed more memory strands seeking to snare him.

"Wicked bastard!" he hissed, tearing away the one that had attached to him.

"Me…wicked?" Aizen's voice said, echoing all around the hollow, "Why Kirei, I never hurt you…except by being honest with you at the end. No hollow is good enough to sit at my side in the spirit dimension…"

Kirei blazed forward, attacking the encroaching strands with golden fire and reaching for the shinigami's mental core. He found the direction and moved that way, then heard Aizen laugh. A moment later, he realized why. His senses had been deceived and now memory strands were wrapping around him again, attacking his mind with visions of how Aizen had used him over the years.

"Poor, poor, Kirei…so beautiful…and so used. I loved pleasuring myself with you…kissing your sweet lips, touching and tasting skin too soft to belong to a hollow, fucking the life out of you while you dreamed of one day killing me. But I always had a question, Kirei. Why is it that you never wanted the place you were meant to have? Over and over again, I asked you why you had never sought to be king. And you never answered me…why, Kirei? Why do you run from the power?"

"Shut up!" the hollow hissed, curling and swelling up in a golden swirl.

Light flashed around him and he broke free, again seeking the direction of Aizen's mental core. This time, he realized that although, initially, he was given a glance at the correct path, Aizen's own innate power rose up and almost immediately obscured it. He had, then to sense it and move immediately. As he endured another hard flash of memories and fought his way free again, he reached out, captured the direction and immediately launched himself in that direction. He paused as the memories attacked him again and he fought them off angrily.

"You won't reach it…"

"Shut up. You know I will."

"I won't let you in."

"You will have no choice."

"Kirei…"

He found the direction again and fired himself across the distance, stopping with his hands on the entrance.

"I am here."

The hollow stared as the door opened wide, welcoming him.

"Come inside, Kirei," Aizen's voice whispered, "I have missed you."

His instincts told him not to trust it, but power from within the place ahead of him, pulled him in that direction. He recoiled and tried to free himself, but a feeling like suction was pulling him that way…and suddenly, he realized the danger.

He is trying to engulf me…to use my powers which are not affected by the seal, to free himself!

Instantly, he spun his essence into a sphere and locked himself and his powers away as he was sucked through the door. He couldn't help but scream as sharpened tendrils attacked his coiled golden sphere.

"Why do you resist?"

He was surrounded on all sides by red tendrils that wrapped around his protected form and tried to cut through it. Although they seemed to be making no progress, Kirei knew that eventually, they would penetrate. He gathered his power and considered carefully what to do next. As he thought, he suddenly realized that while attacking, Aizen wasn't affecting his sense of direction. He carefully calculated the path and opened a tiny hole in the protective covering. As the tendrils continued to attack, he slid out of the sphere and past them. As he suspected, the tendrils had no senses of their own, but depended on Aizen's mind to direct them. Until he sensed Kirei's escape, they would not harm him. Of course, having shed the protective shielding, he was nearly defenseless. But he was also extremely hard to detect. And once he was into the core of the shinigami's mind, he would be safe enough while he extracted the information. He turned and shot in the direction of the core.

This time, there was nothing to stop him reaching it. He was there in moments and studying the last defense…a thick membrane. He stretched his essence into a thin, needle-sharp probe. He waited a moment, closing his eyes and then fired himself through the membrane.

"YOU!" Aizen's mind raged.

But he was already inside. And he knew well what to do. He moved immediately to the core of Aizen's memories and dove into them, searching wildly for the place and time in which he had placed the poison. He felt Aizen's mind roiling as he plunged through and honed in on what he was looking for. Relief swept over him as he connected with the information. He imprinted it on his memory carefully, then formed his body into a sharp point again to leave.

"You don't think it will be that easy, Kirei…ne? A smart hollow like yourself knows that I won't allow you to leave with that information."

Kirei fired his body forward, but merely bounced off of the encircling membrane.

"Bastard!" Kirei raged, "How…?"

"Easily," Aizen's voice told him, "You left your protective shell within me. Having consumed it, I can now use it to contain you. You are trapped in my mind…and cannot escape to tell them how to save themselves…"

Kirei threw himself against the barrier repeatedly, making no progress. He altered his body in any way he could think of and used all of his powers to no avail. Exhausted, he took his hollow form and sat with his back against the wall, his chest heaving softly. He caught his breath in surprise as Aizen rose up out of the memories he had been scanning and walked slowly towards him. Kirei rose and stood facing him as he approached.

"You are still every bit as lovely as I remember, my Kirei. I will tell you what. I have been too lonely here. Agree to stay with me. Stay here with me and I will tell the shinigamis what they need to know to save the three worlds…the hollows…and their loved ones…"

Kirei stood quietly as Aizen's arms wrapped around him and the shinigami's mouth found his and began to kiss him hungrily.

"Let me go…" Kirei hissed, struggling, "I would never trust you again. You only plan to use me somehow to gain your freedom and escape!"

Aizen laughed softly.

"I agree that I will use you to escape, but Kirei, listen to me…all of those people, they need to be saved. You have the information that will do that…but you are trapped here. I am not asking for so much. Just stay with me and give me someone to love, even though it will only be in our minds…and one day, I will break free. I will return you to your home."

Kirei's eyes closed. He thought back to when he had shared Aizen's bed.

Give me a small piece of yourself, so that you might always be near me…

He caught his breath sharply.

He placed it in a tiny glass bottle he wore around his neck…and I saw it in the fortress…

It was risky…but it seemed the only way. But how was he to tell the others.

I took the bottle to Grimmjow's cave when we went there…so I think I can…

Kirei focused deeply and was relieved to find the connection to that small bit of his essence was still viable. He melted into his golden essence form, ignoring Aizen's laughter as he did so. Then slowly, he sensed the position of the glass bottle and his essence flared.

I have…to focus…must…reach that bottle…

And then, before Aizen's surprised eyes, he began to disappear from the shinigami's mind.

"How are you doing this?" Aizen screamed, not realizing that he was screaming aloud and that the visitors and guards were staring at him.

"Kirei!" he screamed, "Kirei! You hollow bitch! How did you escape?"

Kisuke stepped away and pulled Byakuya and Sora back as well.

"Damn!" he said sourly, "And I thought I'd convinced him to talk!"

Kisuke laughed nervously.

"I guess I stimulated an old mental nerve. He's hallucinating. Aw hell, all of this for nothing. Well, Kuchiki-san, we had best abandon this and try to find another way."

Byakuya opened his mouth to argue, but saw the warning gleam in Kisuke's eyes. He simply nodded and turned with Kisuke to leave. The guards approached the madly screaming shinigami and replaced the bindings over his face so that he could no longer see them or speak to them. His muffled voice followed them as they left the room and made their way back through the prison levels to the surface. Kisuke and Byakuya flash stepped away from the confused councilor before they could be stopped and raced out of the building.

"Are you going to tell me what just happened?" asked Byakuya, "Why are we abandoning Kirei?"

"We aren't," said Kisuke, "He isn't in there anymore."

"What? How would he escape? We were in a maximum security…"

"I'm not sure exactly, but when I was in physical contact with Aizen, Kirei's thoughts were reaching me. I heard something about essence and a bottle in Grimmjow's cave. And then he disappeared from Aizen's mind. That's why Aizen went bonkers…because Kirei escaped. I think we're supposed to meet him at Grimmjow's cave!"

"You think?" Byakuya snapped sarcastically, "You had better be right, because if you are not, then the three worlds and all of those loved ones waiting for that cure are all doomed!"

"I'm right," Kisuke insisted, "I know I am."

He stopped and opened a senkaimon into the living world. Byakuya followed him through and found himself emerging into Kisuke's shop. They ran to the training room and opened Kisuke's garganta.

"Kuchiki-san," Kisuke said as they passed through the precipice world, "I think the councilors of Central 46 might have questions about our activities. I think we should not return until this situation is resolved."

Byakuya glared at him.

"I think you had best hope that you are right about Kirei. If anything happens to him because of us leaving as we did…"

"I'm not wrong," Kisuke said firmly, "He left Aizen's body…and I know he said something about Grimmjow's cave…a bottle there. Just…trust me, will you?"

"Huh…" Byakuya huffed, "Show me Kirei wasn't a fool to trust you and I will trust you!"

Kisuke shook his head.

"You never change, Kuchiki-san."

"Neither do you, Urahara-san."

They dropped down into the sand and started towards Grimmjow's cave.

"You all right?" Kisuke asked Byakuya, noting his slow pace and the discomfort in his features.

"I think so," Byakuya replied, "Perhaps, it's just…"

He broke off and doubled over, gripping his midsection and drawing a strangled breath. Kisuke started towards him, then stopped as the growls of hollows began to rise up around them.

"Don't take this personally, Kuchiki-san," Kisuke said, grabbing him and breaking into flash steps, "but we need to get the hell outta here…fast!"

Byakuya struggled for a moment, but fell still as pain exploded through his insides again and his reiatsu flared sharply. Kisuke looked down at him, frowned, shook his head and flash stepped faster.

"To the right," Byakuya managed, "near that small…rise…"

"Gotcha," Kisuke said, racing towards the rise.

They reached it ahead of the hollows and Kisuke set Byakuya back on his feet. Byakuya leaned heavily against the shopkeeper and directed him through the secret door and into Grimmjow's inner cave. They slammed the door shut behind them.

Byakuya groaned in pain and slid down the door. Kisuke caught him as he fell and carried him towards the bed. Halfway there, he realized that the bed was occupied.

"Grimmjow!" gasped Byakuya.

The Espada lay curled on the bed, groaning in pain and sweating profusely.

"What the hell?" said Kisuke.

He nearly jumped out of his skin as a small girl jumped off the bed and ran to him.

"You have to help Nel!" she cried, "Nel tries and tries to help Grimmjow, but Grimmjow just gets worse and worse. Nel thought it was the poison, but it's something else!"

Nel stared at Byakuya.

"Oh no!" she sobbed, "Pretty Bya is sick too!"

"Yeah, said Urahara, helping Byakuya into the bed, "I think you're right, kid. I think the same thing's wrong with both of them."

"Who is Pretty Bya's friend?" Nel asked.

Kisuke smiled at her.

"I'm Urahara-Kisuke…and you are?"

"Nel."

"Okay Nel. I think you are right that it's not the poison. I think this has to do with these two…um…being together and the fact that Grimmjow has been losing his hollow hole."

Nel nodded.

"Nel noticed that Grimmjow's hole disappeared. Then Grimmjow started yelling and saying bad words and fell down on the bed, holding on to Grimmjow's stomach. Nel was scared when his mask broke and fell off. Can Urahara-san help Grimmjow and Pretty Bya?"

Kisuke sighed in frustration.

"I don't know. I'll try. But Nel, I need you to do something for me. Kirei said that there was a bottle…one he found in the fortress. Something was in it…and I think we have to open it to get him back."

"Oh!" Nel said, smiling, "Nel knows the bottle! Nel has it right here!"

The girl removed the tiny glass bottle on a chain from around her neck and handed it to Kisuke. Kisuke slipped the cork out of the bottle. Instantly, golden light erupted around him, shaking the room and throwing him off his feet. Dust obscured everything for several moments and he couldn't see. As the dust settled again, Kisuke peered ahead and caught his breath in surprise. The glass bottle had shattered and Kirei now stood in the middle of the room.

"You wanna tell me how you did that?" he asked.

Kirei smiled.

Aizen Sousuke kept a small bit of my essence in that bottle. He used it to summon me when he wanted me, but he did not realize that I could use it to return from other places by choice. He had me trapped in his mind, but I was able to focus on the bottle and return."

He turned and walked to the bed, where Nel was leaning over Byakuya and Grimmjow, wiping their foreheads with cool wet cloths and crying softly. He laid a hand on her shoulder and she moved aside, allowing him access to the two. Kirei studied them for a moment and then turned to Urahara.

"Urahara-san, I will require your assistance if we are to save them."

"Okay, you've got it," said Kisuke, "But I'm not sure what to do."

"Each has an unstable reiatsu cluster inside him. We must first stabilize them and then remove them. Then, the pressure on each will be relieved."

Kisuke nodded.

"If you say so."

"I will stabilize Grimmjow and you should stabilize Byakuya."

The two leaned over their charges, sending stabilizing reiatsu into each. Grimmjow and Byakuya fell still and quiet under their hands. They worked furiously as the reiatsu pulsated and fluctuated under their hands.

"This happened because they slept together, I think," said Kisuke, "Grimmjow has lost his hollow hole."

"I noticed that," said Kirei, continuing to work on Grimmjow's still form, "He has almost regained his shinigami form…and removing this reiatsu will finish the process."

"What will happen to the removed reiatsu? You think it will just dissipate or…"

"I do not know. We shall have to see."

"Hey, when the last shinigami/hollow couple got like this, the reiatsu blew up and killed them!"

"That is why we are working to stabilize it, Urahara-san."

They continued to work quietly with Nel leaning against Kirei, watching closely. Finally, the two focused deeply and began to pull the reiatsu out of each unconscious form. The reiatsu clusters emerged slowly, and Kirei and Kisuke were careful to keep the clusters stable as they left the two bodies and were set on the end of the bed. As they finished the removal, Byakuya and Grimmjow sat up slowly, blinking and trying to focus.

"You guys all right now?" Kisuke asked, "We got the reiatsu clusters out without…"

He broke off, staring, as two small cries interrupted him.

Five pairs of eyes stared in surprise at the sudden appearance of two shinigami infants where the reiatsu clusters had been.

"Holy shit!" hissed Grimmjow, "What the hell? Where did they come from?"

"They came from Grimmjow and Bya!" squealed Nel excitedly, "Grimmjow and Bya had babies!"

"No fucking way…" Grimmjow muttered as Byakuya's hand found his and they stared down at the two tiny infants.

Grimmjow's was a boy with blue hair that ended in black tips. His eyes were a blue and gray starburst pattern. Byakuya's twin girl had black hair ending in blue tips and the same color eyes.

"I guess it would be hard to claim they're not ours…" mused Grimmjow.

"I imagine," Byakuya agreed, smiling.

"I guess we better try to think of some names, ne?" Grimmjow suggested.

Byakuya nodded, reaching out and gathering the baby girl into his arms.

"Aren't you going to pick up your son?" asked Byakuya.

Grimmjow frowned and picked up the boy, then set him in his lap and glared down at him.

"He looks strong," Grimmjow commented, thinking.

He smiled at Byakuya.

"Byyako," he said quietly.

"White tiger…" the noble whispered, nodding.

They looked down at the baby girl.

"Bradamante," said Byakuya.

"Loving wildly?" Grimmjow queried.

"Or sweet maiden," Byakuya added.

"Yeah…if she came from me, we'd better not expect the sweetness, ne?" chuckled Grimmjow.

"No," agreed Byakuya, "We'd best not…"


	14. One

**Chapter 14: One**

**(Translations: _Estoy siempre en su deuda, mi amor = I am forever in your debt, my love. Nandemonai, watashi no koi = It is nothing, my lover. He perdido mi corazon y me ayudo a encontrar de nuevo = I lost my heart and you helped me to find it again. Animales silvestres deben estar libres…y…las aves enjauladas nunca debe abandonar sus jaulas = Wild animals should be free…and…caged birds should never leave their cages. Dondequiera que vaya de aqui y ahora, este corazon siempre te seguira. = Wherever you go from here and now, this heart will always follow you. Somos uno = We are one. Nunca sera solo otra vez = We will never be alone again. **Please forgive any errors of diction. I am not a native speaker of Spanish or Japanese, so I'm at the mercy of online translators.)_**

Byakuya sat on the large, soft bed in Grimmjow's inner cave, watching as Bradamante sucked eagerly at her bottle, and stealing glances at the blue-haired shinigami sitting next to him, feeding Byakko. He heard small bits of stray conversation coming in through the partially opened door, from outside, where Kisuke sat with Kirei, Nel, Dondachakka and Pesche, cooking dinner over a roaring fire. Byakuya leaned forward and kissed the baby girl's forehead, then felt Grimmjow's eyes on him and turned to look at the newly restored shinigami.

"Grimmjow," he said quietly, "How are you coping with your transformation back to shinigami form?"

The former hollow glanced down at his fully restored abdomen and shook his head.

"I haven't had time to think about it, really," he replied softly, "and I'm even farther from knowing how I'll feel about it when this is all over. But…I think it's a good thing. I mean, who the fuck _wants_ to be a hollow? I don't know a one of them that wouldn't trade everything they had to be alive and whole again. But that's the way our worlds work. The hollows have to be here. Isn't that true? Didn't you say that if all of the hollows were destroyed, then our worlds would crumble? So…it seems they have to exist."

Byakuya sighed and leaned his side against Grimmjow's.

"I think it goes back to something very basic," he said softly, "Our king gifted us with free will. And in our lives, we employ it every day. But there is no guarantee that our choices will be good ones…and even if they are, others may make choices that interfere with ours. And then it comes down to emotions. Not everyone has the strength of heart to manage life's disappointments…and the pain that goes with them. And when a soul dies and those things are unresolved, the dying spirit needs a place to resonate. So…this world…this place…is the place for those souls. It is not their choice to be here…no…but by virtue of the fact that they are here…and that the shinigami blade can eventually free the cleansed soul inside, even these are not without hope. When a shinigami blade cuts them, the soul is purified and returned to the cycle of rebirth. The dark emotions are what is cast into the flames of hell. So…as dark and empty as these lands seem, they serve an important purpose too."

There was a long silence between them.

"I never thought about it that way before," Grimmjow admitted, "I always hated the shinigamis for killing hollows…for hating us, who already hate ourselves for what we are. But to think that by killing a hollow, your blade actually frees the soul…as a hollow, I couldn't have understood or accepted that explanation…maybe because my dark emotions were such a part of me, I feared losing them. I feel different now. I guess…I really am a shinigami again. I wasn't sure, at first. I knew I felt different. And my zanpakutou changed. But I didn't realize that all of that hatred seemed to melt away. Maybe because it happened so gradually once I met you."

He laughed softly and turned his head, meeting the noble's lips for a slow, gentle kiss.

"_Estoy siempre en su deuda, mi amor_," Grimmjow whispered, resting his face against Byakuya's and looking down at their two newborns.

"Nandemonai, my love," Byakuya replied softly, "I have done nothing, really."

"How can you say that?" Grimmjow objected, touching the noble's face and bringing their lips together again, "_He perdido mi corazon y me ayudo a encontrar de nuevo…_"

"Ah…but you forget," Byakuya said softly, "You were the one who rescued me when my tormentors planned to kill me. I still wonder why…what made you save me…"

Grimmjow sighed and nuzzled closer to him, his eyes locked on their babies.

"I don't know," he admitted, "I guess it was a combination of things that caught my interest…your beauty, that seemed so out of place here…the fact that I despised them for their cruelty in not just killing you, but hurting and humiliating you like that…but I think what finally made me help you was what you said when I asked you why I should help you…and you said…"

"I'm not saying that you should. I'm asking if you will," Byakuya whispered.

Grimmjow nodded.

"It's like what you said about choices that the living folk make…choices that decide whether they go to Soul Society or become hollows. You chose to place your fate in my hands and I chose to help you. And because of our choices…"

He stopped and stared down at their children.

"We have an altered future…one we never planned or could have expected," finished Byakuya.

He let Bradamante rest in his lap and the fingers of one hand laced into Grimmjow's.

"I should be honest with you," the noble went on, "When I returned from Hueco Mundo after Aizen Sousuke was captured…I returned home with a heavy heart. Before I left, the council of elders had met me with an ultimatum…because as head of household and the strongest of the members of the Kuchiki clan, it is my sworn duty to provide the clan with an heir to follow me. They were pressuring me to marry…but I worried that to do so would leave me in a loveless marriage…and any children we would have would suffer from the lack of affection. I did not know my mother. She died giving birth to me…but my father spoke of her often. I could tell from his expression and the words he used that there was deep love between them. I knew then that I must find passionate love…or never marry. I was injured while on a mission to Inuzuri and that is how I met my wife, Hisana. Ours was love that was based on friendship and mutual need. I needed to feel loved and to protect her. She needed someone to watch out for her and a safe home to live in. But it wasn't the passionate, all encompassing love I had sought. I will never regret marrying her. It was the right decision at the time. But after that, I promised myself never to marry for anything but passionate love…"

Grimmjow turned his head and gazed into the noble's smoky eyes.

"So…is that what you want from me? To leave this primitive, uncivilized place where it's eat or be eaten and confine myself to the inside of walls, however beautiful…the confinement of rules…expectations? _Querido_, I don't know if that's possible."

"That's why I will not ask. I will complete this mission and will return to Kuchiki Manor with the children. That is my choice. How much time you choose to spend with us is up to you."

Byakuya took a short breath and closed his eyes.

"_Animales silvestres deben estar libres…y…las aves enjauladas nunca debe abandonar sus jaulas_. I will never ask you to abandon who you are, Grimmjow…any more than you would ask me to shed my nobility and leave my responsibilities behind. But know that you have not just rescued me from my hollow tormentors…but from a loveless marriage as well. _Estoy siempre en su deuda, mi amor_. _Dondequiera que vaya de aqui y ahora, este corazon siempre te seguira._"

Grimmjow swallowed hard and blinked several times, then raised his voice slightly.

"Nel?"

A moment passed and then Nel's face peeked through the partially opened door.

"Hai?"

"Would you please have Pesche and Dondachakka take the babies out there with you? Byakuya and I need our privacy so that we can bathe and dress before dinner."

The girl disappeared out the door and returned with the two male hollows. Pesche and Dondachakka lifted the babies out of their arms and left with Nel, smiling knowingly and closing the door behind them.

"Are you sure that…"

"Pesche and Dondachakka have taken care of Nel all of this time. Our babies will be safe with them. And that door and wall are soundproof…"

Byakuya raised an eyebrow.

"Are we going to be doing something loud?" the noble asked, his lips quirking slightly.

Grimmjow gave him a predatory smile and moved closer. He picked up his zanpakutou and set it in Byakuya's hands.

"Pantera," he whispered, "This is the part of my soul that transformed when I was a hollow…and before that, he was my zanpakutou spirit. That spirit lives again and has given new light and color to this blade."

Byakuya nodded silently, his fingers touching the bright blue hilt.

"I was able to speak to the spirit inside and learned that, like me, he has no recollection of our prior days as shinigami and zanpakutou, but…I was able to recover knowledge of a few things. One thing I learned is that in just the way I was able to mark my servants as a hollow, the reciprocal of that power now that I am a shinigami is that…I can soul bond with one other. The soul bond will connect our inner worlds and open links between our zanpakutous and us. We will be able to sense each other at great distances, speak in thoughts, see through each other's eyes and even combine our attacks to make a stronger attack. I may not be able to offer you marriage of the usual kind, but this would be a stronger binding than that, even. That is…if you want me to attempt it. Just realize that once this is done…unlike the servant bonding, this cannot be undone…by either of us."

He fell silent and watched the noble's dark eyes intensify as he considered Grimmjow's offer.

"And…you are…certain…that you want this with…me?" he asked, "Perhaps things will change upon leaving Hueco Mundo. Perhaps you will find other love…out wandering the three worlds so freely. You might not want to be tied down to me…"

Grimmjow smiled tolerantly and shook his head.

"_Mi corazon_, we are already bound at the heart. _Dondequiera que vaya de aqui y ahora, este corazon siempre te seguira._ Do you understand?"

The former Espada's fingertips traced the noble's blossoming smile, then cupped a porcelain cheek and drew Byakuya in for a kiss. Grimmjow turned and wrapped his arms around the spellbound noble, then kissed him more fiercely before pulling away and eyeing him appraisingly.

Byakuya gazed at him quietly as he drew his zanpakutou and brought the sharpened edge to the palm of the noble's sword hand. He drew a single drop of blood, then set the blade down and placed Senbonzakura in Byakuya's hand. The noble drew a drop of blood from Grimmjow's hand and Grimmjow unwrapped a length of the cloth that bound his hilt. He wrapped this around their joined hands, then rested his forehead against Byakuya's.

"As before…I will ask you one last time. Are you sure that you want to go through with this? Once I call on my zanpakutou's power, there is no going back, Byakuya."

The noble's dark eyes met his with certainty.

"I will trust in the future we have chosen together. Call forth your zanpakutou's power…Grimmjow…"

Grimmjow nodded in acquiescence and moved around behind the noble, leaving their hands bound in the cloth attached to the hilt of his zanpakutou. He set the sword in their joined hands and turned it towards them, bringing the tip of the weapon to Byakuya's chest over his heart.

"Don't worry, _querido_. We won't be cut."

"I am not worried," Byakuya assured him, "I trust you."

"Baka," Grimmjow laughed softly, "That may be your last mistake, ne?"

"I hope not," the noble whispered back.

Still smiling, Grimmjow lowered his chin onto Byakuya's shoulder and whispered a soft command to his blade. There was a moment's hesitation, then Pantera's blade shined the same bright blue as Grimmjow's hair.

"Ready, _mi corazon_?" he asked as the reiatsu rose and began to rage around them.

Byakuya found himself unable to speak, but nodded silently. He felt an urge to close his eyes, but didn't want to miss a moment of what was about to happen. His heart raced madly beneath his breast and he could feel the heavy pounding of Grimmjow's heart against his back. He felt the former Espada's hand tense and stared, wide-eyed as Grimmjow thrust the sword through Byakuya's body and his own. The blue blade flared bright white and the power burned down into their impaled hearts, shattering the barriers between them and bringing their souls and inner worlds crashing together with stunning force. Byakuya felt as though he was falling, though he could see that he was still anchored safely in his lover's arms. He might have cried out as their pasts were laid bare before one another…and all they knew of their lives played out in full living color and dizzying sound all around them.

As Grimmjow's life lay exposed to him, Byakuya caught one dark, fireshot image of him as a shinigami.

…_standing somewhere on a lonely plain in the Rukongai, his body torn and his zanpakutou shattered. Something huge and dark passed over him and slashed down at him, taking him off his feet and making the blood explode out of his body. He collapsed, but as the hollow reached for him, he fell into a rushing stream behind him and it dragged him away, leaving the hollow to eat the fallen friends he had been protecting._ His dying scream planted itself in Byakuya's mind and shook him to the core. As the image faded, he heard Grimmjow speaking to him.

"Byakuya? Are you all right? Say something, _mi corazon_! Open your eyes!"

He opened his eyes and caught his breath in surprise at the fact that he was lying on his back, at the presence of tears on his face and the look of deep concern in his lover's eyes. He brushed the tears away and sat up slowly. Grimmjow slipped an arm around him and kissed him on the forehead.

"I was worried for a minute there," he confessed in a soft voice, "I thought maybe I had failed to manage the joining properly."

"No," said Byakuya, a bit breathlessly, "No, I am fine."

He chose not to explain what he had seen. Instead, he met Grimmjow's lips as they moved forward to claim his, and wrapped his body tightly around the one that pushed him down onto his back, welcoming the sensations of mingled pleasure and tiny pulses of pain as Grimmjow crawled down his body, exploring his white flesh with soft kisses and light nips, both gentle and hard suction…tasting and touching him everywhere, the pleasure mounting inside him until he could hold back no longer. Grimmjow's name left his lips in a sweltering, affectionate gasp, making the riled blue eyes lift to meet his and his lover's lips to curl into a wicked smile.

Grimmjow forced his thighs wide and settled between them, feeding the noble hard, biting kisses as he entered him a bit roughly and began thrusting wildly with no hesitation. Byakuya's lips parted in incomprehensible words and shivering moans, his hands sliding down his lover's body, taking hold of the white flesh of his bottom and pulling him in harder…deeper…faster. Sweat-touched and lit with power, the two beautiful bodies raged against each other, the reiatsu flaring whitely around them, caressing them as they crested a long, lovely wave, and their pleasure reached its peak. The usually reserved noble gave a scandalously delicious cry and hot seed erupted from his writhing body, splashing onto their skin. He cried out again as Grimmjow growled contentedly, filling the noble's insides with liquid flames, then tearing himself away and lathing the noble's wet abdomen with a relentless pink tongue, devouring every drop of the pearly fluid that decorated his skin. He collapsed onto the exhausted noble's softly heaving chest and kissed each fluttering eyelid, before settling his head on a pale shoulder and dropping off to sleep, sprawled across Byakuya's resting form.

"_Somos uno_," he murmured senselessly, "_Nunca sera solo otra vez_."

Too overcome to lift his head, Grimmjow missed the contented smile his words brought to Byakuya's lips.


	15. The Doragon Arashikaze

**Chapter 15: The Doragon Arashikaze**

Byakuya felt himself coming slowly awake, but suffered a shiver of discomfort as he opened his eyes and found his vision to be somewhat distorted and his body achy and weak. He realized quickly that, although his ears barely registered any sound, Grimmjow and Kisuke were leaned over him and looking down at him with concerned expressions. He tried to listen harder and picked up enough words to realize that it was that the poison was catching up with him. Healing light flared from both their extended hands and he began to see the worried faces in the semi-darkness. Kirei sat down next to them and said something to the two. Grimmjow's face registered annoyance, but he and Kisuke moved back and Kirei bared himself and took on his golden liquid form…sinking into Byakuya's ailing body and gradually strengthening him.

_The poison is slowly overwhelming your systems. My power is able to slow it…but this is going to be a problem the further in this mission that we go. And you won't be alone in your discomfort. It seems that Nel, too, is beginning to show signs of illness. Grimmjow and I will follow…and eventually Kisuke will be affected as well. We will have to work together to strengthen each other as we are able. And when we plan battle strategy, we will need to consider all of our situations as well. Still…we must move forward._

Byakuya sighed in relief as he felt life flooding his body again, and he answered Kirei's words to him.

_And move forward, we will. I am ready._

He felt the soft separation as Kirei left his body and solidified again. The hollow prince dressed quickly, avoiding Grimmjow's predatory eyes, then gathered the others around the fire outside the cave.

"As you know, I was successful in finding the needed information in Aizen Sousuke's mind. And the information I was given involves two necessary components. First…we must travel to the deep northern range."

"Whoa, hold on! Wait a minute!" snapped Grimmjow, "You and I both _know_ what lives there. You can't mean that we're going to try to sneak past _him_!"

"Him?" Byakuya queried, frowning, "Who are you talking about?"

"The fucking _Doragon Arashikaze_!" hissed Grimmjow, "Only the oldest and meanest hollow dragon…beast, even, that exists in Hueco Mundo. You think that screwy spider thing in the fortress was a pain? Just wait! That dragon will take us all apart."

Kisuke turned to Kirei.

"What are we supposed to do when we get there? Are we going to have to get past the dragon to find what we're looking for? Because if so, I have some…"

"I mean to brace the dragon and overcome him," Kirei stated quietly, sending the rest of the group into an uproar.

"NO WAY! NO FREAKING WAY!" Grimmjow roared, "Maybe _you_ don't mind getting your ass fried and blown to ashes, but I happen to like being alive…and more than that, I'll be damned if my mate and kids die because _you_…"

He broke off, stunned momentarily by the sweet blush that rose on Byakuya's face and throat at the word 'mate,' and the mention of their babies.

"I uh…well…"

"I think that Grimmjow is right to be concerned," Byakuya said calmly, the blush on his face deepening as his eyes met Grimmjow's for a moment, "We _all_ have loved ones to protect…all of us. So Kirei, if you could give us a better picture of what is expected of us, we should be able to formulate a suitable plan. After all, our loved ones won't live much longer if we do not find a way to cure this poison soon."

"Pretty Bya is right," Nel agreed, "We need to plan what to do."

"I'm also in favor of having a plan ahead of time," said Kisuke, "We have to get this right the first time."

"We will," said Kirei, tightening his lips, "But you must trust me. There is a reason that I must face the Doragon Arashikaze. It lies in ancient hollow lore that Aizen was exploring while he was here...the story of my family and how they were first given rule over the hollow world by the spirit king. Arashikaze existed even then...and was, in fact, the spirit king's gift to my ancestor."

"Whoa," said Grimmjow, shaking his head, "The spirit king gave a gift to the hollow king? Eh, weren't they enemies?"

"Actually, no," said the prince, "You see, My original ancestor, Kuroibara Yuu, was the spirit king's brother."

The eyes of the others widened.

"His...brother?" mused Grimmjow.

"Fascinating..." breathed Byakuya, "I had read myths...shinigami lore that suggested a connection between the spirit king and the first hollow king, but because the truth lay amidst hollow lore, it was not so much explored as it could have been. And because what exists in my family archive is based on shinigami lore, it is incomplete."

"So...the spirit king and this Yuu were brothers?" queried Kisuke, "How did Yuu end up coming here?"

"That is an interesting story," said Kirei, "and it was told to me by those who cared for me. It is a story so old and well protected, it has never been written down, but only spoken from one heir to the next. It was said to be dangerous to let the story be known until the return of the Kuroibara family to power."

"And you think that now is the time?" asked Kisuke.

"It has to be," said Kirei, "The poisoning of the hollow world by the traitor, Aizen, has thrown this world into chaos. And it is from deadly chaos that the new king will emerge."

"So...uh...why do we need to go tangle with this dragon?" asked Grimmjow, "Don't you just have to go and kill that spider thing to convince everyone of who you are?"

Kirei gave him a troubled smile and shook his head.

"Remember, Grimmjow," he said solemnly, "I have no powers as of yet, except for my healing powers. I need Arashikaze because of his connection to my family."

He turned his head to gaze into the fire as he went on.

"As I said, the spirit king and Yuu were brothers. Yuudai was chosen as heir and young Yuu was completely devoted to him. However, there was a man on the king's council, an advisor whose name has been banished from all memory to punish him. He joined forces with a demon witch of the spirit dimension, and the two abducted the younger prince. Councilor and demon witch merged their souls and possessed the young prince. They thought to destroy the young man's soul, but Yuu managed to protect himself by forcing his soul out of his own body and into a dragon pendant that his brother had given him. The evil ones returned to the palace in Yuu's stolen body and lured the heir into the king's garden. They tried to murder Yuudai, but the king arrived and moved to protect his heir. When he saw the attacker's face, the king was devastated. He knew that Yuu would never betray them...that something awful had befallen his son. But...he was so overwrought that he could not bring himself to kill the possessed Yuu. Instead, he was struck down. Yuu, inside the pendant, was distraught, and managed to interfere with the ones controlling his body. He forced his hand down, leaving an opening for his brother, and screaming for his brother to strike quickly, before he was taken over again. And despite his grief at doing so, Yuudai took hold of his dying father's sword and killed his brother's possessed body. Then, he went to the fatally injured king and attempted to comfort him. The king crawled to Yuu, crying out for his fallen son, then he thanked Yuudai for being strong enough to do what had to be done. He reached out and touched the pendant at Yuu's throat and was stunned to feel his son's life force protected within. They could not return his soul to his destroyed body, because the evil ones could not be parted from it. So Yuu's body died and, the king died shortly after."

"What happened to Yuu?" asked Nel.

"He was still trapped in the pendant that his brother had given him," Kirei explained, "Yuudai was crowned king. He told the people of the spirit dimension about what had happened, and how in the end, it was Yuu who thwarted the plans to kill him. He vowed to give his brother life again, and went into the gardens to do so. Yuu stopped him, and asked for his brother to hear him out. Yuudai listened sadly as his brother explained to him that he was resolved never to be used against his family again. Rather than risk it, he asked to be made a denizen of the hollow world, as the hollows were not allowed into the spirit dimension, and therefore, he could not be used against his brother. He told Yuudai that he would make sure that the balance in that world was kept, and that no hollow would ever reach Yuudai while he lived. Yuudai was grieved that his brother would not stay, and to comfort him, he did not simply send Yuu to the hollow world, but made him king over the hollows. And as he passed through the dimension wall, the king and his brother were stunned when the spirit of their lost father's zanpakutou appeared. He said that the king had pleaded with him not to die, but to instead bond with Yuu, whose own zanpakutou had been destroyed with his body. The late king's zanpakutou spirit was a dragon...the Doragon Arashikaze!"

"Y-you mean that we are going to fight the old king's zanpakutou?" asked Nel, staring.

"You've got to be out of your fucking mind!" said Grimmjow, "All of us here wouldn't stand a chance against a divine blade, not even if we weren't beginning to be overcome by the poison!"

"It is a hell of a challenge," said Kisuke, "but I don't think we have much of a choice. If we do nothing, then we are all going to die and our worlds are going to end."

"So," said Byakuya, meeting Grimmjow's eyes bracingly, "it seems that we are going to have to go along with Kirei. It is the only way."

Grimmjow's lips tightened and he gazed back at Byakuya, wanting like hell to get the man out of Hueco Mundo, to keep him from getting himself killed. But he knew Byakuya wasn't going to back down. For all that he was lovely and delicate looking, he was possessed of great amounts of power, and a will every bit as strong as Grimmjow's own. And people he cared about were in danger of dying. So, he thought, the only thing he could do was to go along with him and make sure he came back alive."

"Fine," Grimmjow growled, "Then, let's go. The longer we wait, the weaker we'll get."

"I think Grimmjow is right," Kirei said quietly, "We must move quickly now. Come."

The group separated to prepare for the mission, agreeing to meet when everything had been prepared. Byakuya turned back into the inner cave and went immediately to the babies. He sat down on the bed with Byakko in his arms and Bradamante in his lap. Grimmjow exchanged a few words with Nel, then joined him. He walked to the bed and sat down next to Byakuya, watching him closely.

"You know that everything in me tells me to get you out of here," he said, frowning and running his fingers down Byakko's pale cheek, "At least one of us has to come back to them or..."

"I am sending them to my home," Byakuya said quietly, "The clan will protect them while we fight. And...if we do not return, they will have family to care for him."

Grimmjow let out a frustrated sigh.

"Why won't you just go, _mi corazon_? I will stay and make sure that Kirei becomes king and things are made right again. I just want you and our babies to be somewhere safe. Don't you understand? _Ahora vivo para ti_. I don't want you to die here."

Byakuya met his eyes calmly.

"Then, I promise you that I will not die, Grimmjow," he answered softly, "_Vivo para ti._"

He leaned forward, bringing his lips together with Grimmjow's. The two exchanged several slow, soulful kisses, then Grimmjow took the babies, and both men kissed them gently on the forehead, before Byakuya opened a family senkaimon and sent Nel's fraccion to carry them to Kuchiki Manor.

"Show them this token," Byakuya said, handing the small charm to them, "and no one will harm you. Wait there until we come for you."

They watched as the two left, then Byakuya returned to the bed and sat down.

"Do you have anything left to prepare?" Grimmjow asked, looking at the noble out of the corner of an eye.

"No, I am ready. Should we go and meet the others, then?"

Grimmjow gave him a solemn smile and closed the inner cave door.

"No," he said, his eyes taking on a more feral look, "They won't be back for a while. And besides, _hambre de mi amante..._Come to bed, lover. I want to be with you before we go."

He joined the noble on the bed and dragged him onto his lap. Byakuya's thighs parted easily and he settled in Grimmjow's arms, sinking into several long, sweltering kisses, before the blue-haired shinigami laid him down on his back and kissed him several more times, while removing their clothing.

He moved slowly over the noble's pale body, breathing in his deceptively delicate scent, burrowing his face into the long black hair, then biting down on his throat and sucking warmly. Byakuya moaned hungrily and moved his hips, pushing upward into Grimmjow's body and rubbing their swollen members together as the other man's hands traveled over the curves of his smooth pectorals and teased the already erect pink nipples. He pulled away from the noble's throat, leaving a bright red mark where his mouth had been, and adding a row of smaller markings as he nibbled and sucked his way down one fine collarbone, then the other. He made a line of kisses down to one nipple and sucked it into his mouth, rolling it around on his tongue and drinking in the sounds of Byakuya's intensifying state of arousal. The noble's back arched wantonly and sweat slicked his pale skin.

"You want me, _mi amante_?" asked Grimmjow, giving him a lusty grin, "Only ask and _yo soy tuyo_!"

Byakuya's fingers burrowed deeply into Grimmjow's hair and pulled him back to the noble's hungry mouth. He licked the other man's lips and plunged into his mouth, closing his eyes and sucking languidly until Grimmjow couldn't look into his lover's beautiful face like that and hold himself back anymore.

"Ah...augh...Damn it! _No puedo resistir te ya_!" he panted, "_M-me haces loco, mi amante_! I won't even make you ask..."

Byakuya smiled.

"But I did ask, already," he whispered, "I simply chose not to use words. I spoke instead with touch..."

"With touch, ne?" Grimmjow hissed, "How is this for speaking with touch, _mi corazon_?"

He drew back for a moment, positioning himself at Byakuya's entrance. Then, he took the noble in a single, brutal thrust. Byakuya's body recoiled and he loosed a sweet gasp into his lover's mouth, then met Grimmjow's thrust for thrust as the two exchanged a rage of hot, wet kisses.

"Your body feels so good! So strong, _mi amante_! How can you be so beautiful and so strong like this? Ah...ah...B-byakuya!"

There was some overwhelmingly erotic about hearing Grimmjow use his name. Perhaps because it was such a rare thing...or maybe the words just sounded different, pouring out of his mouth. Whatever the reason, it shattered all resistance in the usually restrained noble. His reiatsu exploded around them, bathing them in lovely pink light as Byakuya cried out his lover's name and yielded his seething essence in long, blazing pulses onto their skin. Grimmjow devoured his deep, lovely moans, pushing into him hard, groaning his name again and releasing violently. He collapsed onto Byakuya's damp chest, unable to move or speak anymore.

Byakuya held the former Espada to his breast and ran his graceful fingers gently through his hair. He looked into the icy blue eyes lovingly.

"I give you my word," he whispered, "I will come back alive...and so will you. You will be able to come and see..."

"N-no, Byakuya," Grimmjow whispered.

Byakuya looked back at him questioningly.

"Grimmjow?" he queried softly.

"I won't come to see you and our children at Kuchiki Manor."

"Wh-what?" Byakuya said, looking unnerved, "Grimmjow..."

The blue-haired man smiled.

"That poison in us must me making me crazy, because...I can't think of leaving you anymore."

"But...you are one who treasures his independence," said Byakuya, "I have always respected that. You don't have to. I mean, if you wish it, I will, but..."

"Then I wish it, _mi corazon_!" Grimmjow said in a happy, shaking voice, "I will never let you go...and I will never leave you alone. I love you and...when this is over, I am going to marry you...Byakuya."


	16. Fates Entwined

**Chapter 16: Fates Entwined**

Byakuya felt warm lips touch his, and the caress of Grimmjow's wandering hands on his flesh. He opened his eyes and gazed up at the recently restored shinigami, marveling at the affection in the man's usually icy blue eyes. Then, he remembered.

_He said that he would marry me._

He couldn't help the smirk that the thought brought to his lips. Because, for all that he was dedicated to following the rules of the clan, that he had forced down and controlled the cocky, fiery person he had been, this man brought that part of him back to life. Yes, even in the drab dead desert of Hueco Mundo, he felt more alive than he had anytime in the last hundred years.

He bit his lip gently, remembering the information revealed about the Espadas, how each represented an aspect of death...and how the aspect of death that Grimmjow had represented had been destruction.

And certainly, he had fallen like a wrecking ball on the Kuchiki council's plans for their leader. Grimmjow wasn't a well-bred, cultured noble female, nor even a shinigami, at first. No, far from that, he had been a powerful, stubborn, willful, dangerous hollow, one who lived to break things apart.

But...as with the phoenix, Grimmjow had a flip side. Because even in the worst throes of destruction, there was also the potential for new creation. And through their interactions, the two of them had created the opportunity for Grimmjow to be a shinigami again, as well as for the two of them to bring to life the two little miracles that were their children. And with the bearing of their children, they had negated any right the council had to force him into an arranged marriage. He, in fact, was compelled by clan law to marry Grimmjow. He would, of course, have opposed that law, had Grimmjow not changed his mind and decided to accept his hand, but now, with his genuine offer (_or demand, really_, he thought, blushing) of marriage, he had destroyed the council's grip on him, and given him back control of his own life.

And for that, Kuchiki Byakuya would forever be grateful.

He smiled up at Grimmjow, enjoying the predatory shine of his blue eyes, the catlike movement of his body and the unusual tenderness in his touches, something he yielded only to those he truly cared about...Byakuya, their children, and the child form of Nel. He might be truly callous with the rest of the three worlds, but for these four beings, he had a heart, he loved, he fiercely protected. That, Byakuya decided, must have been what had brought him back...the resolution of the horrid factors that had burdened his heart upon losing his shinigami life. Love had stricken Grimmjow cleanly, like a shinigami's blade and cut through the darkness, revealing the brightness that even Grimmjow, himself, had believed lost. And now, he and Byakuya had everything to fight and live for.

"What are you thinking, _mi corazon_?" Grimmjow asked, licking Byakuya's lips, then gently assaulting a pretty, pale earlobe, "Whatever it is, it makes you look dangerously close to happy."

"I am thinking that the Kuchiki council is about to get the shock of its life. I think that you are going to make a very profound impression upon them."

Grimmjow smirked.

"And you like that?" he asked, narrowing his eyes, "It only confirms for me what I have thought for a long time, lover. You have an angel's face and you pretend to be like them, but inside you beats the heart of _un gitano_ (a gypsy)."

"Ah," sighed the noble, reeling as the former Espada bit down on his throat and left a line of red markings as he made his way slowly downward, "I am afraid I am guilty as charged. But...I do not fear the consequences. I await them with open arms, my love..."

Byakuya quickly found himself made breathless as Grimmjow sucked hard on his throat, then nibbled his way down a finely carved clavicle, falling on his pale breast and tormenting his erect nipples until he moaned loudly and sank his fingers into the other man's blue hair, lowering his pride and softly pleading for him to move downward. Grimmjow laughed and attacked Byakuya's sensitive, white belly, making the noble quiver and clutch at the bedding, leaving red markings everywhere as he worked his way downward, then viciously stimulating the area with hard, sweeping licks and dizzying suction, that made Byakuya gasp and pant prettily as his body writhed sweetly under Grimmjow's fierce control. Grinning at his lusty, wanton behavior, the former Espada dragged him onto his hands and knees, entering him from behind and clenching his hips with sweating hands as he plunged into the noble's body, groaning with rising pleasure as he watched Byakuya shake and writhe in a way that he was sure would have shocked the very life out his clan's elders.

_"Eres tan hermosa! (You are so beautiful!)"_ the former Espada gasped, pushing in hard and releasing in wicked, shuddering pulses, as Byakuya screamed in ecstasy, his release spilling out onto the bed and his upper body collapsing, but his hips held tightly in Grimmjow's strong hands.

Grimmjow fell down onto his back, pulling his hair back on one side, and laying more hard, biting kisses along the back of his neck while Byakuya laid still beneath him, his chest heaving as he worked to catch his breath.

"What are you thinking, _mi corazon_?" Grimmjow purred in his ear.

"Not surprisingly," said the noble, "I am not able to 'think' at all. But...I _feel_ wonderful, Grimmjow."

"Good," the blue haired shinigami said, nibbling on his ear, "You need to have something to focus on when things get ugly. And they will get ugly, Byakuya. We are all poisoned, and no matter what Kirei says about that damned dragon being a zanpakutou, it's going to be a bitch to gain control of. We...have a lot to lose. Knowing that...perhaps you should, you know, hold back a bit...stay in the background and let me do the fighting."

Grimmjow read the instant flare of indignation in the noble's expression and did his best to head it off by quickly explaining.

"Look, I _know_ you're a taichou," he argued, "You're powerful. I get that. But, with us having the babies and all, I don't want that our kids should have to grow up with just those old stuffed shirts at your manor, you understand? Our babies are going to be something special. But...they need one of us to be there...to guide them along."

"And..." Byakuya said, raising a fine eyebrow, "you would argue that I am the better choice?"

Are you going to fucking tell me that I would set a better example for them?" Grimmjow laughed sarcastically, "I was a goddamned hollow, for kami's sake! You, at least, have an education. You know a lot about shinigami history, how to act around kids...fuck, basic, common manners? All I know about is surviving. That's what I do."

Byakuya gave him an enigmatic smile.

"Well, our children will need to learn survival skills also. I am a survivor too. And we are _both_ going to survive this endeavor," he said with finality, "So, I will hear no more about anyone 'holding back.' The Doragon Arashikaze is not the kind of creature that leaves one latitude to hold back. Although it is Kirei who must overcome him, we certainly will have to help put him in the best position to do so."

Grimmjow sighed in frustration.

"I should've known there'd be no convincing you. You may have been obedient as my servant, but there's no knocking down that obstinate will, now that I freed you."

Byakuya smiled.

"Are you sorry you did so?" he asked, giving the blue haired man a decidedly lusty glance.

Grimmjow pulled him close again and nibbled thoughtfully on his earlobe.

"Sometimes," he admitted, "You made one really sexy servant. I could've lived for just the sex alone. Not that that's all there is to you or anything."

Grimmjow made a soft growl of returning arousal at the sight of the blush that rose on Byakuya's face and throat at his words.

"Wish we had time for one more round, lover," he sighed, "but we need to clean up and get dressed now. The sooner we get this poison counteracted the better. Remember, our babies have been exposed too. We need to take care of this for them."

"We do," Byakuya agreed.

They left the bed and entered the bathing recess, where they stood under the waterfall, enjoying the last moments of peacefulness before what promised to be a harrowing mission. Grimmjow began to bathe himself, but made a sound of surprise as the soap was liberated from his hand. Byakuya smiled and stepped closer, his smoky eyes finding Grimmjow's and instantly freezing him in place.

"What are you doing, lover?" he asked, narrowing his eyes.

Byakuya gave him a smoldering look.

"You said that you missed having me as your servant," the noble said coyly, "I thought to indulge you while we bathe."

"Oh?" the blue haired man replied, his eyes taking on the predatory shine that always made Byakuya's heart beat faster and a soft tremor pass through him in anticipation, "Well...let me help you with that."

Byakuya gazed at him questioningly, then blinked insurprise as kido bonds wrapped around his wrists, ankles and slender waist, and a leather collar wrapped around his throat. Grimmjow stepped forward and curled his fingers around the collar, dragging the noble closer to him.

"This what you wanted to give me?" Grimmjow growled softly, "It's a good thing we had sex recently, because seeing you this way is enough to make me come without being touched at all. So...you wanna play servant? Go ahead. Bathe me."

Byakuya started to lift the soap, but caught his breath in surprise as Grimmjow touched the bonds on his wrists, locking them together in front of him. The beginnings of a smile on his lips, the noble moved closer, lathering the soap, rubbing it first onto the other man's shoulders, before sliding his graceful fingers up Grimmjow's throat, caressing the area slowly, then sliding down again to massage the strong shoulders and upper back. He pressed his body up against the former Espada's back, writhing erotically to lather the soap again and letting the fingers of his bound hands play over the other man's white bottom.

"Mmmmmm," Grimmjow growled warningly, "Watch those fingers, lover..."

Byakuya loosed a soft sound of amusement and ran his hands over one long, muscular arm, caressing the firm bicep, then slid down over elbow and forearm, before lifting the white fingers to his lips, kissing them one by one, then lathering each individually. He moved to the other arm and offered the same loving treatment, then returned to Grimmjow's powerful chest and layered it in kisses, lingering provocatively on the large, erect nipples, teasing with breath and light brushes of his lips, while Grimmjow watched the noble's lovely bowed head, dripping black hair, solemn lips and hints of a secretly wicked, pink tongue. He sank his fingers into Byakuya's hair, tightening warningly.

"Suck them!" he ordered, sharply nipping the noble's pale earlobe.

A lovely jolt assaulted his loins as Byakuya complied, extending that slick, pink tongue to tease, sucking in one nipple and rolling it around on his tongue, then releasing it and teasing it with his fingers while he mouthed the other.

"Ah...ah, fuck," snarled Grimmjow, as the noble pulled away and worked the lather into his chest, then slid his hands downward to rub the other man's tensed abdomen, letting his fingers catch in the navel.

Grimmjow glared down at him as Byakuya met his eyes questioningly.

"With your permission," he said sedately, glancing down at Grimmjow's aroused privates.

"Heh, go for it, _mi amor esclavo_ (my love slave)!" he hissed, "_Arrodillarse _(kneel)!"

He grabbed Byakuya's bound wrists to steady him as the noble dropped onto his knees and slowly lathered each leg, working from the toes upward, then pausing to kiss his way up each soft, inner thigh.

"O-oh!" groaned Grimmjow, his erection swelling painfully as Byakuya's mouth explored him lingeringly, "Ah! Ah! _Es bueno_, _mi amor esclavo_! _Ahora dame mas_! (It's good, my love slave! Give me more, now!) Oh...oh, gods! _L-la puso en su boca!_ (Put it in your mouth!)"

Byakuya teased Grimmjow's entrance with the fingers of his bound hands and let his breath tickle the other man's inflamed member. Grimmjow snarled and hissed dangerously and clenched his hair painfully.

"_La dije puso en su boca ahora, mi amor esclavo! Hagalo ahora! _(I said, put it in your mouth now, my love slave! Do it now!)"

"_Lo voy a hacer ahora que mi senor_," (I will do it now, my master) the noble whispered, looking up at him, submissively.

Grimmjow sucked in a hard breath, struggling not to climax as Byakuya's mouth wrapped around him, and still clutching the noble's hair, forcing his mouth up and down.

"Fuck! Fuck! F-feels so damned g-good!" panted the former Espada, moving his hips and glaring down at Byakuya's pretty face and wickedly pleasing mouth.

Sweat joined the lather and beads of water on his skin as he came dangerously close to climax, but not wanting to finish so quickly, he dragged Byakuya back onto his feet and plunged into the hot, wonderful mouth that had been pleasuring him. He thrust his tongue inside, pushing the noble back against the rock wall and taking him standing. He thrust hard and fast, all thoughts of waiting anymore abandoned as he buried himself in Byakuya's hot, tight bottom, capturing one slender leg and wrapping it around his waist, then lifting the other and binding the noble's legs around him.

Byakuya moaned feverishly into his ear, stoking his already flaming passions and making him force himself in deeper and harder...giving everything to loving the man who had once been an enemy, then his servant, but was now the one lover Grimmjow had ever had, whom he could not hold back anything from. He put everything, every bit of that emotion into his hard, open-mouthed kisses, into the hand that gripped Byakuya's bound wrists and into the heavily thrusting hips and rock hard erection that pleasured the beautiful shinigami he had taken as his lifemate.

He smiled as he heard Byakuya catch a small breath, then release it again in an enchanting sigh of surrender as the noble was overtaken and shaken with release. His seed spilled onto their still undulating bodies and leaked down as Grimmjow's pleasure peaked, and he released in scathing pulses into the noble's heated core.

Grimmjow gave a weak, satiated smile and released the kido bindings, only leaving the leather collar around Byakuya's throat so as to drag the noble into a barrage of warm, finishing kisses.

"_Mi amante,"_ (My lover) Grimmjow whispered, finally releasing Byakuya from the collar and wrapping his arms around the noble tightly, "_Tu me has dado todo. Te quiero!_" (You have given me everything. I love you!)

"It is you who has given me everything," Byakuya whispered back, "_Yo ero un prisionero antes de liberarme._" (I was a prisoner until you freed me.)

"It was a whim," chuckled Grimmjow, "I could just as easily have decided to leave you to the beast, you know."

Byakuya smiled and shook his head gently.

"It was a choice," he answered, "One that sets you apart, one that makes me love you in return."

Grimmjow held Byakuya tightly, his mind returning to the mission they were minutes away from beginning.

"_Mi corazon_," he said softly, his eyes growing serious, "Stay close to me. Be careful. I want us both to come back alive."

"Do not worry," Byakuya said calmly, "I did not come this far to fail my lover, our children, my sister, and our friends now. We will both be careful. And we will both come back alive."

They rinsed slowly under the water, then left the bathing area and dried each other off and dressed, then left the inner cave to join the others who waited in the outer cave. The group draped themselves in heavy cloaks to protect them from the windblown sands, then they left Grimmjow's cave behind and turned towards the lonely looking cliffs of the far northern range.


	17. Dying Land

**Chapter 17: Dying Land**

**(Blue Crescent Moon has returned! And this chapter is all new! Enjoy!)**

"It will take us several hours to reach the cliffs," Kirei said softly, from where he was seated behind Byakuya's paler than usual form and infusing the noble with restorative energy, "Once within them, I think that Arashikaze will confront us. When that happens, I want you to position yourself at a distance. Your abilities work well from a distance anyway, and with you being the most advanced of us in the stages of metabolizing the poison, it would be better to avoid taking physical injury, as much as possible."

"I still say that we should have evacuated him to the Seireitei," Grimmjow complained in a low, growl, "At least there, they had the things they needed to take care of him if he declined suddenly."

"But the poison works more quickly in the Seireitei and the living world," Kisuke reminded him, "There's no guarantee, with the signs he's showing, that he would be able to reach the fourth division safely. And Pesche and Dondachakka were in charge of the babies, so couldn't assist him if he collapsed part of the way there."

"Hmmm," the former Sexta Espada grunted, non-committally, earning a warm look of affection from his mate.

"I will be all right," Byakuya assured him, "I am strong enough to see this through."

"I don't doubt your strength, _mi corazon_," Grimmjow said, more gently, "I just worry because the poison is unpredictable."

"You are right about that," Kisuke agreed, "But we do have Kirei, and he is able to slow things notably. He should be able to keep Byakuya stable. And if worse comes to worst, I have some other ways of handling the situation."

"I would like to avoid that, if possible," Byakuya replied, eyeing Kisuke disapprovingly for a moment.

"What's that look about?" Grimmjow asked his piqued mate.

Byakuya's frown deepened.

"Nothing to be concerned about. It is just that I have some experience with that man. And when he speaks cryptically of using 'other methods,' they are usually ones of a dubious nature."

"Heheh," the shopkeeper chuckled, "I guess I can't really argue with that. We'll just hope that Byakuya-san stays on his feet and we don't meet that eventuality on this mission."

The three went quiet as they passed through a particularly dark canyon, passing several caves, where golden eyes watched from the deep shadows.

"Our reiatsu should warn off most of them," Kirei said, his gaze sweeping around the landscape, "But we should be cautious anyway."

No sooner had the words left his lips, than a huge, dark nightmare dashed out of one of the caves, leaping into the air and taking aim on the two riding on Nel's equine back. In a move so swift, Grimmjow almost missed it, Kisuke's zanpakutou released, and the hollow was sliced up by a shower of crimson colored reiatsu blasts. The force of the attack threw the hollow down onto the ground, where Grimmjow's sword quickly dispatched him. The little group looked around and saw no other attackers, so went on.

They rose out of the canyon, onto a moonlit expanse of grey sand dunes, dotted, here and there, with more carefully concealed caves. But the general level of the occupying hollows seemed low, and even after several hours, out in the open, no creature challenged them.

Nel made a soft hiss and halted as they came upon an area dotted with dead and dying hollows. Kirei followed the path of her gaze and sighed sadly.

"These were not killed by other hollows," he explained, "You see how nothing feeds on them. They understand that the deaths are not natural and are wary of touching them."

He slid down off of Nel's back and walked among the fallen hollows, frowning as some seemed still partially living and in great discomfort.

Byakuya caught his breath softly as a black hell butterfly with crimson markings arrived, signifying an important message from the captain commander. He nodded immediately to the creature, and the little group listened carefully.

"_Kuchiki taichou. Kurotsuchi taichou has completed an examination of a hollow that was captured here, but died of the poison that is infecting Hueco Mundo. He is working on a counteractive measure, but while we wait, we must act to stop the desperate situation this genocide is causing. The ones who die of this poison do not remain in the cycle of life, but are completely erased from existence. Kurotsuchi taichou reports that he has connected this to the use of quincy blood in the creation of the poison. He may or may not be able to counteract it, so your mission to also confront this remains critical. You are hereby given permission to abandon your other quest and focus solely on finding the cure. The first of several support troops who accompanied you to Hueco Mundo have died...none of them officers and none with appreciable reiatsu, but even the stronger are reaching more critical levels. You must put everything into finding a cure. Kami watch over you. Ah...and when you return, we will speak about the children who arrived at Kuchiki Manor. They, and their escorts are safe, and being cared for at your manor, but you have left us all quite...curious._"

"Heh!" Grimmjow laughed, "That old goat's gonna bust something when he finds out what you did, sweetheart!"

"I think he will be preoccupied for a time," Byakuya said, frowning, "But when this is over, I may be warming the inside of a first division cell, for a time."

"You can bet on that," chuckled Urahara, "But, who knows. Maybe he'll give you a suspended sentence for saving the three worlds, ne?"

The two looked at each other for a moment.

"Not likely," they said together.

"Forget about all that," Grimmjow said, "We've got to move faster. Shinigamis, humans, hollows, they're all dying."

"He is right," said Kirei, looking down at the still suffering hollows, "Kisuke, will you come here? I need you to use your blade on these."

Kisuke gazed at him questioningly for a moment, then moved forward and drew his zanpakutou. He dispatched one of the hollows, then watched and scanned its reiatsu as it died.

"By killing it before it died of the poison, did you stop it from being erased from existence?" Kirei asked.

"Briefly," Kisuke answered, but the poison was still active as it died, and it seemed to block the soul from being returned to the cycle of life. Instead, it broke down and was lost."

"Damn," Grimmjow sighed, "We are really royally screwed if we don't stop this thing."

"Come," said Kirei, climbing back onto Nel, "We must hurry on. We run short on time."

They proceeded quietly, each in his own mind, considering and reconsidering the troubling facts. Kirei called a stop, several hours later, bringing them to a halt in a protected valley.

"I need to infuse Byakuya with more healing power. Nel and Grimmjow, too. You begin to look unnaturally pale."

"I admit, I don't feel that great, either."

"Nor do I," Nel agreed.

"How are you holding up?" Kisuke asked the hollow prince, "You don't want to put too much into healing the rest of us, and not have strength for your confrontation with the dragon spirit."

"I am all right, so far," Kirei assured him, "I will be able to stabilize all of us, prior to meeting Arashikaze."

Grimmjow watched as the prince slowly infused Byakuya with healing power, then pulled the noble aside as he moved on to heal Nel.

"How are you now?" he asked in a low voice.

"I am not accustomed to being 'fussed over,' and you needn't worry anyway. I feel much improved, Grimmjow."

"Well, you still look like hell," the blue-haired man complained.

The two went quiet as Kirei finished with Nel, then laid down to rest.

"Come on," Grimmjow said, capturing Byakuya's hand.

"Where are we going?" the noble asked.

"Just to a private spot for a bit of rest," Grimmjow assured him.

"I expect you just want to slip your hands beneath my clothes," Byakuya said archly.

"Can you really blame me," the former hollow said, smirking, "We don't have time for more than a little touching, so we'll just accept that."

"You are incorrigible!" Byakuya hissed softly.

"Well, you're not exactly resisting," Grimmjow noted, enjoying the light flush on the noble's handsome face and soft throat.

They laid down, just out of sight of the others, and rested quietly under the light of the bright, crescent moon. Byakuya curled into his mate's arms, and loosened their clothing enough to permit the desired touching.

"I've been wondering something," Grimmjow said, sliding a hand down the noble's back and caressing his soft bottom, "About the babies. Kisuke explained that the reiatsu exchanges between us when we were different races, caused the reiatsu clusters to form, and that is why we had the babies. But...I was wondering...could we have more of them? Is that possible, now that we are both shinigamis?"

The blush on Byakuya's face brightened.

"I have spoken to Urahara Kisuke about that, and he doesn't know, for certain, if we could have more. But he wants to explore that possibility, if we are both accepting, and don't mind if we become pregnant again."

"W-well, I don't know about _me_ becoming pregnant, but you were kinda cute, getting all moody and throwing up."

"I thought you said I looked like a pregnant cow," the noble reminded him, unhappily.

"Sorry," chuckled the former Espada, "I shouldn't have said that."

"No. you shouldn't have."

"You shouldn't have made me _loco_ with jealously, _mi corazon_."

"J-jealously!" Byakuya exclaimed softly, "You _know_ that Kirei was only healing me that time..."

"I don't give a shit why he was naked with you," Grimmjow growled in Byakuya's flushed ear.

He teased the noble's entrance, then reached around his waist to capture his length and stimulated it slowly as he continued talking.

"I only know that the only one who should be naked with you and touch you anymore, is me. You are _el amor de mi vida_, the love of my life. I am never letting you go."

Byakuya gave him a rare, fleeting smile.

"Then, it is fortunate that I have no desire to leave you," he said, seeking his mate's hungry mouth and exchanging several hard, biting kisses as they continued to caress each other.

"You should rest while we have time," Grimmjow said, starting to withdraw his hand.

Byakuya's fingers closed around his wrist, stopping him, and making his eyes narrow.

"I will _rest _much more comfortably if I feel the touch of my lover's hand while I sleep."

"Tch..." the blue-haired man huffed softly, continuing the pleasant stimulation, "I think I liked it better when you were my servant, and you had to do what I told you. You're a really stubborn pain in the ass, Kuchiki Byakuya."

"And you are sometimes exasperating."

"Perfect for each other," Grimmjow chuckled, closing his eyes, "Fucking perfect."

"Yes," Byakuya agreed.

Grimmjow's fingertips brushed his lover's eyes closed, then his hands continued to meander over Byakuya's pale flesh as he dozed in the former Espada's strong arms.

"_Suena bien, querido_," Grimmjow breathed into his ear, "_Te amo...te amo_. We will be out of this place and back with our little ones soon."

On the edges of sleep, Byakuya saw again, the lovely faces of Byakko and Bradamante, and Grimmjow's proud expression while holding them.

_When I think back to how he was when we met...principled, but a loner by choice, hard on the outside, but hiding a more fiercely loving person inside, I cannot help but love this man...this man who used to be my enemy. Having felt this kind of love was worth everything we endured finding it._

"Your mind is too busy, _querido_. Let go of everything."

Strangely enough, he did manage to sink deeper into sleep. He slept soundly then, wrapped around Grimmjow's warm body and dreaming more peacefully.

Kisuke woke them several hours later, and the little group continued towards the northern mountains. As they moved closer, the wind began to rise and swipe at them, riling their cloaks and trying to spit stinging sand at any exposed skin.

"This is Arashikaze's warning," Kirei told them, raising his voice to be heard over the strong winds, "It will get stronger as we close in. Stay together."

He slipped down off of Nel's back and pushed forward, bending forward as the wind rose to greater strength.

"Shit!" panted Grimmjow, holding on to Byakuya and fighting his way along, "If it gets much harder, it's going to blow us away!"

"I think that is the idea," Byakuya suggested.

Kisuke appeared in the strengthening haze, and bound the group together with kido. They moved forward slowly now, fighting for every step, and stopping periodically to rest. Strangely, as the group reached the top of the first of the cliffs, the winds suddenly calmed.

"Now, why don't I like this?" Kisuke whispered, peering into the darkness ahead of them."

"Perhaps because it probably means that the dragon spirit knows we are here."

"Then, why doesn't it attack?" Grimmjow asked.

"I think we have made it curious," suggested Kirei, "It waits to know more about us. But we need to be on our guard."

Kisuke released them from the kido binding, and the group continued moving forward, cautiously. The only sounds were the sounds of their breathing, and their soft tread on the sand. All else was eerily silent as they climbed the next ridge. The deep quiet and thickening haze continued over that rise as well.

"I can feel him," Kirei whispered suddenly, "He waits over the next rise."

He stopped the group for a moment.

"I will need to be the one to brace him. I will enter the valley alone."

"No," Kisuke said, shaking his head, "One blast and it would be all over. And he may strike first and ask questions later. Let me spring the initial trap, then we can wear him down a little, and then you can move in and try to reason with him."

"Very well," the prince agreed, "But if he proves to be too much for you, fall back and let me approach him. I know the old language. If I can get close enough to speak to him, then I can speak in a language he will understand."

"Yeah, if he lets you get a word out," muttered Grimmjow.

"Well, we don't have any other real options," said Kisuke, "So...Byakuya and Grimmjow, watch my back. I'm going to make a disturbance at the top of the incline.

Byakuya and Grimmjow, separated and climbed on silent feet, up the sides of the main trail, as Kisuke moved forward carefully. The shopkeeper, moved to a point near the top and picked up a rock, heaving it into the air, so that it smacked down in a tumble of other rocks, clacking loudly. There was a moment of perfect silence as the group held its collective breath, watching the top of the rise.

Then, a huge blast of cutting wind slice through the air, throwing Kisuke, Byakuya and Grimmjow down and sending Nel and Kirei skittering for cover. A larger blast shook the mountaintop, cracking the ground and creating a dangerous slide of rock and sand.

"Shit!" yelled Grimmjow, abandoning stealth and launching himself in Byakuya's direction, "Avalanche! Get outta the way of it!"

Grimmjow's body struck the reeling noble's as the slide reached them, and the rest of the group lost sight of the two as another blast of killing wind blew by them, blinding them to the others' fate.

"Get on!" Nel screamed at Kirei, who jumped onto her back, bowing his body forward as she flash stepped up, avoiding the worst of the slide.

They reached the top and located Kisuke, kneeling behind a cluster of rocks.

"Shouldn't we go and help them?" Nel asked.

"Too dangerous," Kisuke said, coughing and trying to hide the sound, "The ground is too unstable. I didn't feel their reiatsu disappear. I think they're all right. But we have to move quickly now. Come on!"

Nel gave a last, worried glance down to where Byakuya and Grmmjow had been, then turned and followed Kisuke and Kirei over the ridge.


End file.
